The Child of Light and Darkness
by Calcipher763
Summary: Who is Jack? To Salem he is a secret weapon. To Weiss Schnee a man whose semblance rivals her own and the man who may steal her heart. To Demi Brisbane he is a part of her past she never knew. But what is he to himself? What is Jack to the World that never wanted him? Who is Jack? The man who may become team RWBY's greatest ally or worst enemy. Rated M for future installments.
1. Prologue

**The Child of Light & Darkness**

Prologue

"You disappoint me," she said.

Her words, though simple, were ice cold and pierced Tyrian like three sharp blades. Heartbroken and mortified he shank into himself, his feelings of sorrow and anguish boiling over. All at once his emotions spilled out of him, spewing forth as he wailed in grief. He had failed in his task and worst of all he had failed his mistress, his Goddess, Salem. He cried louder, his voice echoing in the large sparring chamber. It would come as no surprise that he did not hear the growing of a Beowulf nor the clicking of it's claws against the stone floor as it approached, his negative feelings basting him in a tantalizing aura. Without warning the Grimm leaped into the air, ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey and feast.

Unfortunately for it the maimed Faunus' instincts were sharper than its own. Sensing the creature's bloodlust Tyrian's sorrow turned to unbridled rage as he lashed out at the creature, pinning it to the ground before slashing at it again and again and again with his claws. While the Grimm whimpered at first it soon made no sound at all as the scorpion tore into it's hide. With hot tears of anger rolling down his cheeks Tyrian's cries of anguish slowly devolved into peels of horrible laughter as he imagined his prey, the silver-eyed girl, falling victim to his own claws. Thinking this brought him such joy and would especially win back his Mistress's praise.

Salem, having left the room only moments before, heard Tyrian's voice echoing through the empty halls of her castle. She paid it no mind as she flowed like a specter down the hall. His voice was nothing more than the ravings of a failure, a pawn who had failed to fulfill his duty. They were nothing more than background noise at this point, much like the wind that blew outside the windows. Still all was not lost. This was merely a small setback and she still had stronger pieces left to play on the board. Salem smiled, oh yes there were much stronger tools still left at her disposal and many were unaware that she was pulling their strings. Traveling deep within her mysterious home Salem descended down into the castle dungeons.

Few of her followers knew of this place let alone what she kept down here. For all they knew it was empty, collecting dust and cobwebs the way a child collects stamps. Yet she knew. She knew of the man, the tool she kept locked down here, away from the prying eyes of her servants. He was powerful and quite useful if only he would cooperate. Unfortunately, he was stubborn and loath to adhere to anyone's while save his own. However, much had changed since she had locked him away and some solitude might have helped him to change his mind. That and, after careful observation, she had come to realize that she had something he wanted very badly and he had something she needed very badly. All that was left was for them to "help" each other.

The darkness soon gave way to an odd light as the candles ceased at the foot of the stairs, ensuring the only light to be seen came from the strange crystals that grew on the dungeon walls. Though dimly lit it was enough to show her the way and cast an eerie shadow as she moved without a sound. The moment she touched the ground floor, however, Salem lost any element of surprise. All at once she felt eyes peering down at her from all directions, ensuring she could do nothing more than sneeze without an invisible hand offering her a tissue. It was a strange feeling to have but somehow this pleased her. It meant he had not lost his fire, his desire to be set free. He was always watching, waiting for the moment when fate would give him the opportunity to escape. Little did he know that today was his day.

Following the dim light through the halls it soon opened up into a long stretch where either side was lined with jail cells. At the very back was situated the largest cell and the only one currently occupied. While the crystals allowed some light to illuminated the outer cells this one remained pitch black as if even the light was afraid to go near him. Before long Salem stood erect outside his cell, her hands folded casually in front of her and a pleasantly creepy smile on her lips.

"Good evening Jack," she said warmly, gazing down at the silhouette laying on the stone bed.

"What do you want?" the man asked tartly.

"Come now, is that any way to speak to your hostess? I've provided you with food and shelter and in return you're unapologetically rude. The least you could do is look me in the eye when speaking."

As if to answer her sarcastic remark a lone spider descended from the celling. It lowered itself until it's tiny body was level with her eyes. While its features were difficult to make out in the poor lighting Salem could still sense the connection between it and her prisoner.

"There, now I have eight gazing at your two. Happy now bitch?" he said smartly.

All at once Salem let out a peel of laughter that was both haunting and intimidating. The figure stirred, obviously unnerved by her uncharacteristic response to his candid insult, a feeling obviously shared by his arachnid servant which seemed to shrink away from the pale skinned woman.

"Why are you here?" he asked once she had finished laughing.

"I have a task for you Jack, something I believe you'll be most useful in performing. Should you succeed I might be inclined to give you something you want very much."

Now it was Jack's turn to laugh only his was a gruff chortle that sounded like the rattling of bones. "What could you possibly offer me that would tempt me to even consider aiding you?"

"Freedom Jack, and not just from this cell. Freedom from Remnant, from those who've persecuted you and would do you harm if they were to learn of your existence. Help me and I will ensure that no one ever hurts your again. Remnant will bow to me and in turn all shall do as I command and as an added bonus I'll leave you alone. You'll never see me nor anyone of my followers again. You'll be free to live a life in solace, just as you always wanted."

The young man craned his neck revealing one ice-blue eye staring back at her, intrigued though suspicious. Salem smiled, knowing he was nibbling at the bait she'd cast before him.

"What sort of task did you have in mind?"

"There is a girl, about sixteen years of age, with raven black hair tinged with crimson and silver eyes," she said.

"Silver-eyes?" the man whispered in disbelief.

"That's right. Those same eyes injured my dear Cinder and left her scarred. I want you to bring her to me, alive."

"It would be easier if I simply plucked out her eyes and brought those instead. Save me the trouble of dragging a snot-nosed teenager all the way back," he said as he lifted himself into a sitting position.

"No, you will bring the girl to me unharmed. Do this and I will grant you your freedom."

"Sure, sure, but one thing I feel I must ask. Suppose you set me lose from here. What's to stop me from running to the furthest reaches of Remnant and never coming back? What guarantee do you have that I'll return at all, girl in tow?" he asked. Leaning on his hands his eyes peered into the dim light that illuminated Salem. Despite his confines they held a surprising amount of confidence as if he expected himself to win in this game of whit.

"My dear Jack, you misunderstand. The only reason I offer you freedom from my influence is because there is no place on Remnant that I cannot reach. Free though you would be, doesn't mean there isn't a single place you could run to that I would not be able to find. Obey me and you will be rewarded. Betray me and you will a face far worse fate than anything the persecutors of your past could have put you through."

Jack leaned back against the wall, keeping his stance relaxed in an effort to hid how intimidated her was by her. He was silent for a long while and Salem found this to be in her favor. The longer the man took to decide the more she knew how he would start to see no other way than hers.

"When do I leave?" he asked.

"I'll have your clothes readied for you and Emerald along with Mercury will take you to her last know location," Salem said with a smile before turning to leave.

As she began to ascend the stairs she heard Jack yell out "and what about the door?"

Without turning back, she waved her hand and the cell door opened with a loud creak.

"Happy hunting."

* * *

 **First, let me welcome those of you who've chosen to read my first RWBY fanfic. I'm really excited to be making this and to see so many people showing their support in the creation of this story. Also, for those those of you who are already part of the fan base following this story then you may notice that some changes have been made to this chapter. They are small, obviously, as most of them were simply grammar changes. I'll be doing that to the next few chapters to clean everything up before working on my latest chapter.**

 **I hope you all enjoy reading this. Please follow and fav this fanfic and if you'd leave a review of what you think of my story thus far let me know. Lastly, I know many of you will have questions regarding the OCs that I've developed so let me say that, any questions you may have now will more than likely be answered as the story progresses.**

 **As always see you next time RWBY fans.**


	2. Chapter 1: Preparations

**Chapter One: Preparations**

 **115 P.G.W. - Demi**

Demi Brisbane strode through the halls of the Atlas Military headquarters. With her uniform pressed and her silver hair tied back in a perfect pony tail she was the picture of beauty and power. Various other Atlas personal who roamed the halls stopped to salute her before continuing on their way or to whisper some nonsensible gossip regarding her quick promotion to a specialist at such a young age.

She had heard all of them before, most of which revolved around her family ties. They didn't surprise her in the least, though. Being one of the last of the Schnee bloodline her family had managed to keep strong ties both politically and economically. Still, the rumors would sometimes get to her and she found herself wondering if her own mother had dealt with the same kind of shameless prattle in her day. Of course her mother had also been a fiercely independent woman as well. Doubtless she had dealt with much worse and still managed to rise above.

Before long Demi stood before the doors of the briefing room, hesitant to enter. It would be her first mission after being commissioned and already she was having doubts. She had a lot to live up to in terms of her heritage. Being given such an important task meant that the General believed she was ready but did she believe that about herself. Pushing the thought aside she headed inside before saluting the general, standing firmly at attention.

"Specialist Brisbane reporting as ordered Ma'am," she said proudly.

The General stood with her back towards Demi gazing out into the frozen landscape of Atlas. Her silver hair was pulled up into a tight bun while her arms stayed locked behind her back, a habit from her earlier years in the military that she had never really outgrown.

At her side gleamed her custom rapier, a weapon of her own design that had been well kept despite its excessive use throughout her carrier. As she turned to face Demi a rare smile graced her face as she looked upon her young Niece.

"At ease Specialist," she said.

Demi immediately adopted Winter's previous stance though she couldn't help but smile back at her Aunt. This was a major milestone for her and to know how proud her adoptive parent was made it difficult for her to contain her feelings. One thing that did bother, however, was the unexpected guest sitting a few seats down from Winter at the briefing table.

He was old, around Winter's age, with slicked back raven black hair and a rugged face that appeared to have gone without a good shave for sometime. His clothes were worn and tattered and the pungent smell of alcohol emanated from him like stink off shit. Even with how much distance there was between them Demi found it difficult to hide her distain at the horrible odor. Winter, on the other hand, seemed unphased by it.

"So, this is your prodigy you were telling me about," the man said in a gravely voice.

"Demi, this is Qrow Branwen. He's an… acquaintance of mine," Winter said with some hesitation.

"Honored to meet you Mr. Branwen," Demi replied, bowing in a respectful manner.

"You can drop the Mr. It's just Qrow, always has been, always will be," he said as he pulled a flask from his pocket and took a swig.

"Of course," she said, finding it difficult to utter his name without the usual honorifics.

Qrow Branwen was not at all unfamiliar to her. She had read his file and, despite her Aunt generously adding her personal opinion on the man wherever she could, found him to be quite different from how she imagined. While she knew his lackluster appearance masked his overall combat prowess and unusual Semblance he looked much older than he should.

According to his file the man should be in his mid-sixties though his appearance suggested he was much, much older, possibly due to his excessive drinking habits and years of experience weighing down on him. Still, she knew better than to judge a man's combat abilities by his age. No doubt he could still go toe to toe with some of Atlas' top military specialists.

She could still remember being told stories of Winter's squabble with Qrow during the Vital festival prior to the fall of Beacon by Miss Ruby, an old friend of her mother's. Thinking back on it she wondered if Qrow had just been toying with Winter. If so then he was truly far more skilled than he led on.

"Demi, do you know why I asked you here?" Winter asked, her commanding voice piercing through to her innermost thoughts.

"Yes Ma'am, to discuss the final details of todays mission," she said a little too eagerly.

"Indeed. No doubt you've read the reports and are aware of whom we're dealing with?"

"I've been well informed, yes," Demi replied, trying hard to hide her distain and hostility.

"Very good. I've also asked you here to let you know that Qrow will be accompanying you and your team on this mission. There are few people left who've dealt with this sort of situation and even fewer who have gone toe to toe with this traitor. You are to adhere to his authority, do as he tells you, and above all else follow your instincts. I've no doubt you'll be successful but regardless I advise caution. There's no telling what this man may have up his sleeve."

"Of course Ma'am. I'll personally ensure everyone on our team makes it back home to Atlas."

"Make sure that includes yourself as well," Winter said with a soft smile. "You may take your leave Specialist. Report to the landing pad in two hours."

Snapping back to attention Demi gave Winter one last salute before turning on her heels and exiting the room. As soon as she was gone Winter's eyes shifted to Qrow who had been strangely quiet during the entire conversation. While he usually kept a sarcastic smirk etched on his face at all times his expression was solemn, something that made her feel uneasy for some reason.

"So that's Weiss' little snowflake," Qrow mumbled, taking another swig from his flask.

"Yes, but don't say that in front of her. Only Weiss and myself have ever used that pet name."

"Really? From what I hear it was her father who originally called her that."

"Yes, he did," she replied solemnly.

"Does she know?"

"Know what?"

"Don't play games with me, Ice Queen. Does she know who our target truly is?'

"She knows who he is and what what he's capable of," Winter replied.

"That's not what I meant," Qrow snarled in response.

"Yes, she knows. She discovered the truth when she was twelve, despite my desire to wait until she was a bit older to understand what had happened."

"How did she do that? You leave his file out on the coffee table one morning and she stole a peak?" Qrow asked in a sarcastic tone as he took another swig from his nearly empty flask.

"No, she hacked my computer and decrypted the file. It took me months and most of my political connections to keep the matter hush hush."

Qrow stared back at her in disbelief, the flask inches from his gaping mouth. "Well, now I'm intrigued. Is there anything else should know about her?"

"Just that she's stubborn, driven to succeed and unwilling to accept failure as a viable option."

"Sounds like a chip off the old block, if you ask me. She really took after you."

"Exactly why I want you along on this mission. Despite what others may think I've little doubt that meeting the man who killed her parents will not open old wounds. She hasn't faced a challenge like this before and frankly I doubt she'll show the discipline necessary to bring him back unharmed. I want you there to make sure she doesn't do anything she'll come to regret. Though her comrades are all very skilled and have a great deal of experience you're the only one I can trust to step in between them before she crosses the line."

"Leave it to me, Ice Queen. I'll bring her back, no harm done." Rising to his feet Qrow sauntered over to the door but paused a moment to glance back at Winter. "You know; I've never seen you this vulnerable before. This kid must really mean the world to you."

"She's all I have left. Without her I have no family, no legacy, no other connection to my sister. She's the most precious gift I have left. I don't know if you can sympathize- "

"I can, actually," Qrow interrupted. "I'll see you when we get back," and with that he left.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - Jack**

Jack didn't have much in the way of personal effects when it came the clothes that had been taken from him after being captured by Salem and her followers. Aside from the shirt and lose fitting jeans he had worn since before his incarceration all that he found waiting for him was his large custom tailor overcoat, well worn steel toed boots, a pair of fingerless gloves, and his favorite pair of sunglasses.

He went for the glasses first, feeling the familiarity of the steel as they slide onto his face, shading his eyes from the harsh light of the candles that illuminated Salem's castle. In truth the light was minimal at best and hardly provided any illumination for anyone passing through. Unfortunately for Jack the prolonged time he had spent in the dungeon had cased his eyes to become augmented to the low level of light and anything greater was almost blinding to him.

He then took his coat, sifting inside to check that all of its contents were still there. While on the outside it looked fairly plain and common, hidden within were various pouches all designed to carry bottles and vials of herbs, medical ailments, and even deadly poisons. Surprisingly everything was where it should be. He no doubt found this suspicious and made a mental note to check each vail individually to insure none of them had been tampered with or switched out with something worse and to determine which of his medical supplies needed replacement.

More importantly was the fact that his most prized position, a photograph of a young woman with amber hair sitting behind a young boy with pale skin, had not been removed. As soon as he was dressed he turned to look at his dim reflection in the window and saw a tall figure dressed in black, his coat exaggerating his actual size and build. His pale skin and hollow black eyes that stared out from beneath the hood of his overcoat gave him a ghoulish look. He took a moment to appreciate his appearance, one that often warranted caution from strangers and intimidation from enemies, before heading down the hall.

It wasn't difficult for him to find his way. Despite being confined to the dungeons Jack had managed to memorize the layout of the castle through other means though unsurprisingly he had found places even his unseen helpers had been unable to penetrate, such a Salem's private quarters. He thought it best that he not know what existed behind those closed doors. Doubtless if he knew it would have changed him for the worse, perhaps even tipping him towards heeding Salem's constant offers to join her side.

Jack had scoffed at the offers time and again. He preferred to adhere to his own allegiance and his alone for the simple fact that he couldn't betray himself without being aware of it. To take sides with anyone else was to take a chance that could very well cost him much more than his life.

Before long the hall lead him to Salem who stood waiting patiently with Emerald and Mercury. Salem, whose attire never seemed to change, held the same confident smile she always had. Mercury eyed him with a cocky grin, obviously thinking him a disposable lackey that his mistress had hired. Emerald, on the other hand, seemed more on her guard. She gave him a luscious look, obviously unnerved by the presence of an unknown patron.

"Right on time. Mercury and Emerald will be taking you to Anima and dropping you off just south of Mistral. No doubt you'll be able to find your way from there?"

"If they're headed to Mistral then I can assume they'll make for Haven academy," Jack replied.

"If so then my contact there will be of great help to you," Salem replied. Just before she spoke again she drew closer to Jack and said softly, "remember, I want the girl alive. Succeed and you'll gain your freedom. Fail and it will cost far more of yourself than you can afford."

"How do I know I can even trust you to keep your word?" Jack snarled.

With an eerie smile that make his blood run cold Salem simply whispered, "you don't."

* * *

 **115 P.G.W. - Demi**

It had been several hours since Demi and her team took off for their destination. While most of the specialists had opted to rest during the trip she found it nearly impossible due to the loud roaring of the engines that hummed against the hull of the transport.

They're destination in question was one of the old SDC mining facilities that had been abandoned years ago. Just after the unfortunate death of her parents her Aunt Winter inherited the reigns of heading the family's Dust company, as well as the responsibility of taking care of her.

Unfortunately, her responsibilities within the military made it difficult to oversee everything and, in a move that angered many of their long time investors and political allies, she opted to dissolve the company, selling most of it off to the up and coming Coal Industries, headed by a jazzy man named Flint.

In that time most of their old facilities fell into disrepair, many of them having been abandoned. While most became dens for the grim others were used by bandit trips as hideouts. Very few were kept under constant surveillance, however, and this one in particular had caught their eye.

While it was not uncommon for there to be small energy spikes that were given off by old decaying assembly lines and manufacturing plants this facility in particular had shown an immense spike in energy within the last few days. What was even more puzzling was the fact that the spikes were getting bigger, warranting an investigation. Though her Aunt never specifically voiced it she had her suspicious as to who was behind the odd occurrences. The man responsible for the deaths of her parents, the former General turned traitor, James Ironwood.

While they're transport hummed along through the cold Atlas skies Demi busied herself with polishing her weapon. It was a simple twin-edged rapier, similar in design to Winter's but smaller and lighter to accommodate Demi's specific abilities. The hilt was carved into an intricate design of an angel with outspread wings and her hands raised towards the heavens from which the blade extended.

The blade itself was unique in that it was able to collapse back into the hilt, allowing Demi to hide it on her person and reveal it when opportunity struck. She had found this a useful trait as many of her colleges from the academy had been caught off guard when she managed to produce a weapon from what appeared to be thin air, defeat them swiftly, and conceal the weapon all in a short amount of time.

Along the surface of the blade black letters that had been written in one of Remnants more ancient and dead languages could be seen. This was not an uncommon trait as many superstitious warriors were known to mark their weapons, armor, and shields in protective wards or biblical passages as a means of heavenly protection. Hers, on the other hand, was more of a warning than a ward.

"Interesting blade you've got there," Qrow said, his gravely voice somehow booming over the noise of the engines.

"It was my father's. At least that's what Aunt Winter tells me," she said.

"Don't you mean General Winter?" Qrow asked, emphasizing the title.

"That's only when ceremony calls for the honorifics. Most of the time she prefers that I refer to her as my Aunt."

"Do you refer to her as your mother as well?" he asked jokingly.

"I did when I was little but stopped when I got older. It somehow started to sound strange whenever I called her that and I think it made her feel uncomfortable as well."

"I see," Qrow replied, his face turning solemn in response. "That writing on your blade, what does it say?" he asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Respice post te, hominem te esse memento, memento mori - nam mors indecepta. It means- "

"Look behind you. Remember that you are a human. Remember that you will die- for Death is infallible," Qrow finished.

"I didn't know you could read it," she said in surprise.

"I can't but I heard you father utter that phrase more than once on missions together. He used to say it to our enemies before unleashing his semblance on them. The first time it happened I nearly shit myself, I was so surprised."

"Yea, Dad could be really depressing. It's such a dark passage that I'm not quite sure why it was etched into the blade."

"It's due to your father's unorthodox philosophies."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your father had a hard life growing up. Until he meet your mother I was told he saw the world in much the same manner as Cinder Fall. Cold, unforgiving, and corrupt. However, much of his outlook changed with new developments in his life. You were one of them. That quote on your blade is meant to remind you of your weaknesses and shortcomings. It was a reminder to anyone who heard it that we shouldn't get cocky when it came to our own strength. Allow yourself to become too arrogant and you'll end up glancing behind only to find Death staring you down."

Listening to Qrow's explanation Demi began to understand her father a little bit better. Granted she still thought he was a little too depressing in his overall outlook but somehow his view points made sense to her. She wished he was still around so she could discuss it with him herself but unfortunately he was gone and he wasn't at all accustomed to keeping a journal.

Perhaps her Aunt Winter knew more. And maybe even Ruby. Yes, once this mission was done she'd take some time to look into her father's past. Perhaps by learning more about him she'd come to learn a bit more about herself.

The SDC compound was, for lack of a better term, a ruin. Walls and guard towers had fallen and crumbled over time from corrosion brought on by the harsh weather of Atlas. What buildings still remained had been overtaken and reclaimed by nature. A fresh layer of snow was whipped into the air by the transports engines as the Specialists and Qrow filled out before establishing a perimeter.

They're pilot gave them a thumbs up once they signaled the all clear and took off. They didn't know what kinds of surprises Ironwood had in store for them but having one less vehicle for him to hijack as a means of escape meant one less worry. Once they had him in custody, however, they'd signal for its return.

With the more experienced members of the team forging them a path ahead Demi followed suit with Qrow, his sword extended and at the ready. Her eyes darted around constantly, checking every possible corner and shadow for enemies or Grimm. Qrow, on the other hand, kept a relaxed composure as he sauntered through the compound. Demi didn't know if it was because he was drunk or didn't care but all the same it made her feel nervous.

"You can relax kid, we're the only the only ones here. This place has been abandoned for years."

"How do you know that for sure. There could be bandits or Grimm nearby and we don't know how many men Ironwood brought with him."

"First off, there aren't any bandits around. With the kind of weather you deal with on a daily basis it would be too much for them to handle. Second, the Grimm are only attracted to negativity. So long as we stay calm and relaxed we'll be fine. As for his men, while there are some still loyal to old Ironsides I doubt they'd be hidden out here. Best bet is they're down in the facility helping James construct whatever it is he's working on."

"I take it you know more about this place than you're letting on," she said, relaxing her stance a bit while keeping her sword at the ready.

"Only rumors. Nothing for certain but I did hear a few interesting bits of gossip that one of the SDC compounds was a front for some secret project the Atlas military was working years ago."

"What did it entail?"

"I don't know, something crazy. People seemed to think a scientist in Atlas had discovered a way to give a robot a soul."

"Do you believe it?" she asked, curious.

"We'll, I'd be lying if I said I didn't. I've seen a lot of strange and unexplainable things in my day, mind you, so to say that it's impossible would just leave me open to be proven wrong."

While Demi did think what Qrow said was a bunch of bullshit it did give her and idea as to why Ironwood had returned here. Assuming he had been working on something similar when he was a General then it wouldn't be too crazy to assume he was attempting to revive the project. Still, putting a soul into a machine was impossible. Hell, she would have an easier time believing that time travel was possible. Of course, Demi was too old to believe in such childish imaginations. It's not like any of that stuff could happen, right?

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - Jack**

"Hey Emmy, we're almost there. Go let our passenger know we'll be landing soon."

Emerald scowled, not so much in annoyance at Mercury (let's be honest, the arrogant prick is pretty difficult to tolerate at times) but because she had to go speak with Jack. For nearly five hours the man had sat ramrod straight in his seat, staring out through the cockpit window. He hadn't said a word since they left Salem's castle and every time she glanced back to see if he was asleep or dead she'd see his pitch black sunglasses staring back out from beneath his hood, a solemn face plastered on his pale white features.

It was difficult to see his eyes beneath them, assuming he had any. If he was asleep then it was impressive he managed to stay in that position despite the turbulence. If he was dead, well, then they could just dump his body and be done with it. Unfortunately she knew he was awake, not because of his shallow breaking but from the unnerving feeling she felt of being watched. It was creepy as hell and Emerald couldn't wait to be ride of him.

Unbuckling her seat she maneuvered into the body of the transport. Jack made no indication that he noticed her but all the same she took a seat opposite him.

"We'll be landing soon," she said.

"I'm aware of that," he snarled back.

Emerald flinched, his reaction being exactly the opposite of what she expected. "You could show us a little more gratitude. We're not the kind of people you'd want to mess with," she threatened, attempting to gain a superior foothold in the conversation.

"Why? Because you're Cinder's little lackey? Contrary to what you may think I'm not at all intimidated by Cinder. She was more intimidating before she became a maiden and now," he took a deep breath, contemplating his words, "she's just a sound excuse for an overly used puppet."

"What would you know of Lady Cinder? She's far more powerful than you think. She's done more for me than you could possibly know."

"You mean aside from recruiting you off the streets of Mistral?" Jack replied.

Emerald chocked on her breath, surprised that he even knew that. No one outside of Salem's inner circle knew about her past, especially not some nobody that had just shown up out of the blue.

"Surprised?" he said, leaning forward. "I'm well aware of who you are, Emerald Sustrai. Abandoned as a child, left to fend for yourself on the unforgiving streets of Mistral. You became quite the accomplished pick-pocket before discovering your semblance and from there the scores just got bigger. Of course you were nearly caught and would be in prison if Cinder hadn't come to your aid, making you an offer you'd be foolish to refuse."

"I even know your little friend who's flying the ship. Mercury Black, son of Marcus Black, a well renowned assassin and an even more renowned drunk. Man was nearly untouchable until Mercury broke his neck and burned down their home."

Emerald felt her blood run cold. She was wrong. This man didn't just know who they were, he knew too damn much to not be one of Salem's pets. Yet, the way he had acted around the Dark Lady made it obvious that he had no love or allegiance for her. So why then was he working with her? Almost as if he knew her thoughts the man smiled, revealing a toothy grin that, when coupled with his overall appearance, made him look more ghoulish than before.

Slowly her hands began moving to her back. She knew she shouldn't injure the man but she'd feel better by having her revolvers pinned on him. Something about him made her feel uneasy and she didn't like it. The moment her hands gripped metal she felt a sharp pinch on his right thumb, like a needle had been stuck into it.

She retracted her hand instinctively to find a spider latched onto it, it's fangs buried into her flesh. Disgusted by the inferior creature with balls far to large for its own good she smacked it hard. To her surprise the arachnid was unphased by her attack and immediately began making its way to the floor. Infuriated she swatted and stomped on it again and again but to no avail.

The creature scurried on its way, ascending Jack's coat before coming to rest in his waiting open palm. Once there she saw something strange happen. A small black mist withdrew from the creature before melding into Jack's exposed fingers. In response the spider rolled onto its back before its legs curled up into its body, dead.

"What the hell was that?" Emerald hissed.

"A warning," Jack said, leaning back in his seat.

Irritated by Jack's response she opted to shot the man in the leg for good measure, her own little vengeance for allowing his pet to bite her, when she noticed something strange beginning to happen. At first it was a small itch, nothing very noticeable, but it soon became worse.

The itch soon began to burn and before long her started to feel like the blood inside her was boiling. She slumped to the side, crying out as the pain moved slowly through her hand and into her arm. Jack did nothing except smile as she writhed on the floor before him.

"Emmy, what's going on back there? Emerald? Emerald!" Finally taking notice Mercury threw the ship into autopilot before rushing back to Emerald's aid. Though the pain was unbearable she was able to manage a gesture towards Jack. Mercury didn't hesitate for a moment, grabbing the ghoul by his collar and hauling him to his feet.

"What did you do to her!" he roared.

"Isn't it obvious? I poisoned her. Not to worry, though, she'll have a few minutes of agonizing reprieve before it makes its way to her heart. Once it reaches that then it'll spread throughout her whole body and the real fun will begin."

"You bastard, I'll kill you!"

"Doubtless you could, though a smarter man would use the antitoxin to save her before it's too late."

"You have the antidote?"

"Of course I do, you nitwit. Nothing worse than being poisoned by the slip of your own hand and not having the means to save yourself. That's like being up shit creek without a paddle while you slowly drift towards a waterfall."

"Then help her!"

"Say please."

"Are you fucking serious?" Mercury spat.

"Do you want to save her life?" Jack shot back. Glancing back at Emerald it was obvious the poison had already worked its way up her arm and was dangerously close to being too far gone. Reluctantly he released Jack before uttering "Please save her."

With a sly smile Jack held out his palm as another spider, this one larger than the last, walked out onto his palm. Leaping onto Emerald it quickly moved to just beneath her shoulder and bit into her artery. Within moments Emerald felt the effects of the antidote as the burning sensation in her arm dispelled into cool numbness. Just like its counterpart she watched as a wisp of black mist escape from the creature before entering Jack, leaving it dead on the ground.

"What the hell? Why didn't the other one die when I smacked it?" she managed to ask.

"Isn't it obvious? You can't kill what's already dead."

For the remainder of their trip they sat in silence. No one spoke, not even Jack whom both Emerald and Mercury thought for sure would never let them live down the incident. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief when they're destination came into view and she thought of how they'd be able to leave the creep in the middle of nowhere. As soon as the craft touched ground he moved to exit but stopped with one foot still in the craft.

"Emerald, a word if you please. Now."

Emerald hesitated, contemplating having Mercury take off and throw the man sprawling onto the ground below. The small act of revenge would have brought a smile to her face if not for her recent fight with his "dead" pet spiders. Reluctantly she made her way to the back with Mercury's eyes trained on her.

"Just wanted you know there's no hard feelings between us," Jack said. She nodded, suspicious of his sudden change of heart. "One more thing," he said. In a swift move he grabbed the front of her shirt, hauling her down to his level and hanging out the side of the ship, just out of view from Mercury.

His glasses we drawn low, allowing his ice blue to stare straight into hers as he hissed in her ear, "attempt to threaten my life like that again and you'll be dead before you can even contemplate going for your revolvers. Understand?" Emerald nodded, unable to speak in her awkward position.

"However, if you should find yourself at my mercy once more, never forget this phrase. Respice post te, hominem te esse memento, memento mori - nam mors indecepta. Look behind you. Remember that you are human. Remember that you will die- for Death is infallible."

With that he released his grip just as Mercury took off. Emerald Shivered, hauling herself back into the relative safety of the cockpit, afraid to look out the window. To her overall joy it would be a while before she was forced to encounter Jack again. However, every time her arm ached she'd see his ice cold eyes glaring back at her and hear him whisper "Respice post te, hominem te esse memento, memento mori - nam mors indecepta."

* * *

 **115 P.G.W. - Demi**

Just as Qrow had predicted what few men Ironwood were being kept close to his person. One their way down into the depths of the underground laboratory Demi and her team encountered very few guards though those they had come across were seasoned veterans, a testament to their ability to cause them such trouble. While they sustained few injuries what worried her more were the little red lights that followed them wherever they went.

She knew they belonged to cameras and even more so was that they were decoys for the real ones that had been carefully hidden. Obviously Ironwood was watching them, taking note of their progress. Considering how few men they had encountered it was obvious to her that the old man didn't consider them much of a threat. However, Demi planned to prove him wrong. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve that she doubted even he was aware of or prepared to face.

* * *

 **SNC Facility Basement - Ironwood**

Ironwood stood erect gazing up at the magnificent machine. Years ago, if someone had told them the contraption was not only theoretically sound but stable he would have scoffed at them, thinking they were to high on their own imagination. Since then he had witnessed a robot girl being given a soul and watched as an empire fell just before having his ripped from his fingers.

He ran his fingers thoughtfully through his salt and pepper hair, exerting all of his discipline to hold back his excitement. If this thing worked he'd be on his way back to the top, not only regaining his title of General but his two seats on the council as well. What's more he'd be able to undo all of his mistakes. He knew, more than anything, that if Ozpin had only listened to him, trusted in his judgment, things would have been different. Now was his chance to prove he was right all along.

"Sir, everything's ready for your journey. We just need something to help stabilize the portal," a young soldier in a faded Atlas military uniform said.

"Use this," Ironwood said, handing him a silver cane head with an intricate design etched into the handle and a knuckle guard. "I won't be needing it where I'm going."

The soldier took the item, saluting Ironwood before heading over to the machine. Placing it inside a small compartment he began pressing various buttons and knobs before pulling back a large leaver.

Electricity sparked inside a circular gateway before erupting into a large blue portal, bathing the whole room in a blinding light. Ironwood smiled. They had been successful and soon millions more would know of his triumphs. Taking a brief step forward he heard a large crash as the doors to the room blew open and smoke billowed inside.

"That's close enough James. It's time you returned home to Atlas," a gravely voice boomed.

"Qrow Branwen, why am I not surprised?" he said without turning to face him.

"Surrender, Ironwood. You're out numbered and outmatched. If you come peacefully I can promise that you'll be given a fair trial," Demi said in a commanding voice.

"I think not child. What I plan do will take me out of your reach and enable me to rewrite so many wrongs of our past. I look forward to meeting you again, though, in about thirty years."

Signaling to his soldiers Ironwood stepped into the portal as his men charged at Demi and her comrades. Qrow smiled, pleased to finally have some decent action, before a swing of his sword knocked down several of Ironwoods men. The other specialists followed suit, taking on two to three of the soldiers, while Demi made a beeline for the machine.

Seeing her charge forward two of the soldiers fell back in an effort to cut her off and flank her. Demi was expecting this and before they could react she activated her semblance. Not long ago Winter had helped her to develop their families hereditary gift and while she wasn't yet perfect at it she was skilled enough to use it effectively. Immediately two glyphs appeared on the floor before a blinding light filled the room. The soldiers were caught off guard long enough for two pure white Beowulves to pounce, pinning them to the ground.

The only man left manned the machine. Desperately he tried to shut it off before Demi could get close. With her gaining ground on him he panicked and pulled out his gun before aiming it at the machine. He shot several bullets into the control panel, causing it to short-circuit, but not before Demi managed to take a running leap through the shrinking portal. Not long after it closed the machine burst into flame, knocking back its operator. Dazed and confused he had little time to react when Qrow hauled him to his feet, a terrifying look on the aged warriors face.

"What happened? What was that thing?" he barked.

"It's a transporter. Ironwood needed us to help him repair it. He needed to go back, to fix some mistakes you and Ozpin made," he managed to say through his throbbing headache.

"Where did they go? Where did it send them?"

"The question isn't where but rather when?"

* * *

 **DUNN DUNN DUNNNNNNNNNN! Yea, I know it's a corny concept. Time travel in RWBY? Really? All things considered, though, how farfetched is it really? To be honest with you though I had a lot of funny writing thing chapter. I couldn't wait to reach this point as well as have the contrasting view points of both Jack and Demi as they head towards their final destination.**

 **If you haven't already figured it out yet Jack and Demi are indeed related. I won't spoil anything but this chapter was meant to set up their eventual meeting. They'll run into each other fairly soon but until then they both have some things to deal with.**

 **First I want to thank everyone who is currently following this fanfic. I promise to upload new chapters as soon as I am able, however, the longer it takes the more time I'm taking to insure that what I'm giving you is interesting and well worth your wait. I'll be sure to let you know if there's anything that will prevent me from uploading for a while so don't worry.**

 **Be sure to favorite this story and leave a review of what you liked as well as what you thought could use improvement. I'll be sure to look over all of them and answer as many as I can. Until then I'll see you in the next chapter. Peace!**


	3. Chapter 2: Destination Mistral

**Destination Mistral**

 **85 P.G.W. - Mistral - Demi**

Demi leapt through the portal and immediately regretted her decision. All at once she could feel her body being pulled, molecule by molecule, in every conservable direction. It was as if the forces of the space around her were trying to tear her apart. Demi concentrated, struggling to keep herself whole. She had to endure, if for nothing else than to insure Ironwood returned to Atlas to pay for his crimes. However, it seemed as if time itself had stopped. The longer Demi spent in unknown space the more strain she could feel being placed on her body. She was nearly at her limit, feeling as if an eternity was passing by, when a space opened. Desperate for relief of any kind she aimed for the opening and all at once came shooting out like a dust bullet from the barrel of a gun.

She braced herself, rolling as she hit the ground in an attempt to lessen the force of the impact. She hit the ground rolling before a large garbage bin stopped her momentum. She groaned, struggling to get to her feet despite the pain and nausea she felt. While her aura had protected her from the initial impact she still managed to hit the steel drum fairly hard, leaving a large dent in it and bruising her side.

Her feet wobbled beneath her threatening to give out but she braced herself against a brick wall before sliding slowly to the ground. Disoriented and numb with pain she managed to pull her scroll from her breast pocket. Being an Atlas military product the scroll was built to withstand incredible amounts of abuse. It would have taken at least a bomb explosion to make it inoperable and to its credit the little device had managed to survive the trip.

Opening it up she began by ascertaining her position. The first thing that came to attention, however, was a message flashing at the top. "LOCAL SERVICE ONLY." Demi found this odd as the CCT towers would have insured she had global access. The only time they had gone down was due to an incident that revolved around an unknown enemy having hacked the tower and using their own Atlesian Knights to attack Beacon academy. Still, that had been decades ago and the towers had all been rebuilt and made stronger since that time.

Pushing this thought aside she immediately began checking for her precise location. Despite having only local service she was still able to gain a fairly accurate readout of where she was.

"Mistral?" she mused, perplexed by the exact coordinates.

That seemed impossible, however, considering everything she had just been through that may have been an understatement. During the initial briefing back in Atlas Winter had informed her that, among the numerous projects Atlas had been working on at the time, one of them had been a transport of sorts, something that would enable them to quickly move troops and supplies from one location to another in mere seconds. The theory had incorporated twin portals, each one acting as both the entrance and exit for the other. Thinking it through it made sense that she would end up in Mistral. With no other portal to received her the possibilities of where she might have ended up were endless.

Venturing more into this thought she realized it was a miracle that she hadn't ended up at the bottom of the ocean or worse yet didn't come out at all. She could still be stuck in the portal, feeling it rip her molecules apart. She shuttered at the thought and quickly moved on to something more productive. With a limited field of use she'd have to find her allies quickly. Opening the maps on her scroll she was able to locate the Atlas Embassy, which coincidentally wasn't too far from her location. She'd be able to seek medical attention, inform Winter of what had happened, and perhaps find out where Ironwood had ended up at. Struggling to her feet she began making her way to the Embassy. Things were looking up for her. Before long she'd be healed, rested and ready to tackle the world.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - South of Mistral - Jack**

One glance at his surroundings told Jack all he needed to know regarding the events that lead up to Tyrian being "de-tailed." Broken buildings, smashed walls, and various craters in the ground all spoke of a hard fought battle, one that obviously ended poorly for the scorpion. Looking closely at the rubble he could make out slash marks from a sword, probably Qrow Branwen, and a few drops of some purple liquid. Curious, he followed the trail only to be greeted by a rather unexpected sight.

There, lying on the ground, was the scorpion's severed tail. Jack crouched down near it, removing his fingerless gloves before pulling out a pair of latex ones he kept on hand. Being very careful while handling it he examined the piece. To his surprise he found the tail and stinger to be in exceptional condition. It couldn't have been more than a few days, a week at most, since it was severed and yet it still had a bit of life left in it.

His curiosity peeked, Jack pulled out a small bottle from his jacket, uncorked it, and set it on the ground. Taking the tail in hand he carefully squeezed the severed end over the bottle. At first nothing happened and he wondered if there was nothing left for him to harvest. However, to his surprise a small droplet fell into the glass followed by another.

Jack squeezed the tail, forcing the venom from it, until he was sure he had collected every remaining drop of it's poisonous nectar. Tossing the now useless piece into the bushes he corked the bottle and held it up to eye level for examination. The bottle was hardly 10% full, yet Jack new it was now the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal. He had heard of the potency Tyrian's venom had on its victims and, assuming none of them were able to seek medical attention in time, they had all suffered a horribly painful end.

Jack couldn't count the number of possibilities that came to mind for it's uses. The people he could incapacitate with just a drop. There was, of course, only one person he truly wanted to use it on. Salem. She would most certainly be his primary target. Yet, somehow he knew that not even the entirety of the bottles contents would be enough to hinder her, but so long as they slowed her down that would be enough.

He pocketed the small bottle, smiling with a small sense of pride, when an unusual sound greeted his ears. The roaring of an engine, not loud enough to be a transport, was growing closer by the second. As a single glaring headlight became visible over the distance Jack realized that a motorcycle was headed his way. Great, not even ten minutes had passed and already he was being assaulted by bandits. Tapping into his semblance he began feeling around the area and was please to have noticed at least three useable corpses nearby. Assuming this was a scout he might have time to take them down and steal their ride before the rest of their tribe showed up.

Jack immediately began to have second thoughts when, as the rider approached, he was able to get a good look at them. A few things tipped him off that this girl may not be a bandit considering he had never known of any to have long blond hair, wore aviator sunglasses, or have an artificial arm for that matter. A great deal of her outfit was fairly new and in good condition, all of which were signs that she had most likely come from one of the larger cities rather than the outskirts of civilization. Before Jack could make a move to avoid the oncoming vehicle, however, the girl brought it to a sliding halt just a few feet from him, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured his vision. As soon as he could see clearly he was greeted by the sight of the young woman starring him down, a sunny smile spread across her face.

"Hey stranger, where are you headed?" she asked in a cheery manner.

Jack stared back at the young woman, perplexed not only by how friendly she was but by the sheer fact that she was speaking to a total stranger as if he were an old friend. It was one of the few times that Jack found himself at a loss for words. He had expected her to pass him by, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake, while he sauntered on towards Mistral. Yet now he didn't know what to think. At best he would stay on his guard until he had a better impression of the young woman's intentions.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Do you need a lift? I'm headed towards Mistral and it looks like you could use a ride to civilization."

Now Jack was truly miffed. Obviously this girl was toying with him. There was no possible way that a complete stranger would simply offer to help him out in the middle of nowhere. Reverting back to his initial instincts he figured she must be a bandit, one who was either fairly good at using her natural "endowments" to lure in unsuspecting victims or someone who was far too conceited in her own abilities.

"Pardon me but I find it rather odd that a total stranger would offer me a ride to Mistral simply out of the goodness of their heart," he replied.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot my manners. My names Yang, Yang Xio Long. It's nice to meet you," she said, extending her artificial arm out for a handshake.

Jack stared back at her, feeling the tension rise in the air. After a few moments Yang glanced down at her hand and slightly recoiled from a sudden realization.

"Oops, sorry. I'm still rather new to it so I haven't had too much experience in regards to having people react to my new arm," she said, rather embarrassed.

"What? Oh no, no, no, that's not it," Jack replied, somewhat flustered, "I have no qualms about your artificial arm, rather, I'm not too keen on shaking hands."

"Why?"

"Handshaking is usually a sign of trust, though, to be honest, I find it difficult to trust a complete stranger whom I've only just meet."

"I'm not a stranger, I'm Yang. Speaking of which I never caught your name."

He hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons to trusting a relative stranger so soon into his mission. "Jack," he finally managed.

"Jack? Jack what? Jack-of-all-trades," she joked.

"Just Jack," he said dryly.

"Nice to meet you Jack," she said, taking hold of his arm and giving him a firm handshake. "See, now were no longer strangers, we're friends."

"Acquaintances," Jack corrected, retracting his arm.

"Nuance," Yang replied. "So, do you want a ride or not?"

Jack took a moment to consider the offer. Granted it would be much faster for them to reach Mistral and it would shave off some considerable time from his mission. However, he knew nothing about Yang Xio Long. For all her beauty and smiles she could simply be a generous young woman or spy working for Salem, keeping track of his movements and making sure he stuck to his word. Still, there may be some advantages associated with their acquaintanceship and, if he played his cards right, he just might glean some useful information from her. He nodded and Yang's face lite up into a brilliant smile.

"Hop on," she said.

Jack climbed onto the motorcycle, straddling the seat behind her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. To his surprise, and annoyance, Yang grabbed his hands before slinging them around her waist. Jack was about to snarl something at her in protest but was caught off guard by the roar of the engine. With a sudden jerk from the vehicle his arms tightened around her waist as he held on for dear life. Yang smiled, amused by his reaction, as the speed off into the night. With the wind rushing by and his eyes shut tight all Jack could think was "Dear Goddess, don't let this crazy bitch be the death of me!"

* * *

 **85 P.G.W - Atlas Embassy - Demi**

Despite the Atlas embassy being fairly close Demi had neglected to consider the fact that "close" was a relative term when consulting a map on your scroll. Couple that with agitated injuries covering her chest and thighs and you had all the makings of an excruciatingly painful journey. It took her little more than an hour to reach the building and by then Demi's legs were so numbed by the pain that she couldn't tell if she had legs at all. The only thing on her mind was how lovely it would feel to have a shot of morphine while she lay in a comfy hospital bed.

As she approached the gate the two soldiers guarding barley took notice of her until she was right on top of them. Instinctively, they snapped to attention and were about to give her a salute until they took a closer look at her uniform. Her disheveled hair along with a uniform that was torn in various places and covered in dirt would have caused anyone to throw her a suspicious glance. In spite of this Demi reached into her chest pocket before whipping out her identification badge.

"Gentleman, I'm Specialist Demi Schnee with the Atlesian army. I'm currently on assignment from headquarters and could greatly use some medical attention as well as a warm bed. No doubt you know of Winter Schnee? If you contact her she can confirm my statement."

Instead of a quick response to her request the soldiers exchanged glances before looking her over casually. In hindsight this should have been the first tipoff that something wasn't right. Before she could do anything more the soldiers had their weapons raised and trained on her as they slowly approached.

"Put your hands behind your head and slowly drop to you knees," one of them said.

"What?" she stammered, appalled by their uncouth treatment of a high ranking officer.

"I said hands behind your head and drop to you knees, now," the soldier said in a firm tone.

"What is the meaning of this? Do you have any id- "Demi was cut off as the second soldier butted her in the chest with his rifle, effectively dropping her to the ground as she gasped for air.

Unable to defend herself the soldiers proceeded to handcuff her before dragging her towards the Embassy building. Avoiding the main entrance, they took a side route that lead them into a dark corridor with large steel doors every few feet. Demi recognized these as interrogation rooms and began wondering what had gone wrong. Was this part of the mission? Were they with Ironwood? Demi could only speculate as she was dragged into an empty room and handcuffed to the table.

"I'll contact the commander. She'll want to inspect this one personally," she heard one of them say.

"Wonder what she'll think? It's not everyday that somebody walks up to the Embassy trying to impersonate you," the other replied.

"Impersonate? Impersonate whom?" she managed to say through stifled breathes.

"Specialist Schnee of course, though you obviously didn't do your homework."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because her name is Winter. Specialist Winter Schnee."

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - Mistral - Jack**

Few things in life had ever caused Jack to appreciate the simple things in life. Being sick made him appreciate having good health. Starving made him appreciate finding something to eat, no matter the nature of the meal. Most recently, however, was the fact that riding a motorcycle driven by a crazed blond in aviators made him appreciate the simple fact of having two strong legs to walk on. The moment they stopped and Jack was able to abandon the bike altogether he found himself numerously blessed as he tacked on the appreciation of having somehow managed to survive such a terrifying ordeal.

"Whew, that was fun. Been a while since I let her run wild like that."

"Why did it have to include me?" Jack mumbled, trying desperately to keep his stomach from ejecting its contents all over the street.

"You alright? You look rather pale."

"Never ridden a motorcycle before," he replied. "And I never want to ride one again."

"Sorry, guess I got a little carried away," Yang said with a sympathetic smile. "So, I guess this is where we part ways."

"Indeed," Jack said, grateful to finally be ride of the terrifying blonde.

"Perhaps we'll meet again," she said.

"Not too soon, I hope," Jack replied, doing little to hide the distain in his voice. Yang either didn't notice or didn't care as she laughed it off.

"By the way, out of curiosity why were you headed to Mistral anyway? People don't usually go traveling through the outskirts on their own, not unless they're Hunters."

"I guess you could say I'm hunting for someone," Jack said.

"Really, so you're a bounty hunter?"

"Of sorts."

"Who're you hunting?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Can't say though I'll know her when I find her."

"I take they're pretty dangerous."

"Indeed. The last person to tangle with her managed walked away having only lost an appendage and the one before him lost a great deal more."

"Yikes, that does sound bad. Hopefully you don't end up dead."

"No need to worry about that. People don't typically notice me; it's a trait I've learned to shape to my advantage. By the way, since we're on the subject, what brings you to Mistral?"

"My sister, a red-head named Ruby. She left home a while back with some friends and I've come to take her home."

"I see," Jack mussed, intrigued. "Well, best of luck to you then," he said, extending his arm for a handshake.

"I thought you didn't trust me," Yang joked.

"I don't but you did give me a ride into town, in spite of almost killing me while doing it, so I'll make an exception."

Yang, both surprised and flattered, gave him a firm handshake in response. Jack managed to force a small smile on his face, paying close attention to Yang in the hopes she wouldn't notice the small spider crawling across the underside of her arm. Thankfully her dominate hand was also her artificial one, a detail that worked in his favor to insure she wouldn't notice the creature as it crawled onto her jack and slipped into one of her pockets.

As they parted ways a small wisp of black mist escaped her pocket, confirming the spider had returned to its previously deceased state and insuring Jack had a means of keeping tabs on Yang. While his semblance's range was limited up to a mile wide radius he would at least know when she was close and have the opportunity to use his little spy to help him.

Jack smiled a sly smile beneath his hood. Things were looking up for him. To think he would meet the sister of his target so soon into his mission. If he played his cards right he might be back at Salem's doorstep within the week and enjoying his newly regained freedom. Still, something about what she had said kept him on guard. Her sister's "friends" could pose a problem for him, depending on who they were and how many. He'd have to be cautious. Like the spider patience would prove his greatest asset in this game of cat and mouse.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - Embassy** **Interrogation Room - Demi**

Demi didn't understand what was happening. Between the portal and the odd behavior of the Embassy guards the only conclusion she was able to come to was that Ironwood had somehow planted more of his loyalists amongst their troops. That still didn't explain what they were doing here. If he had the ability to infiltrate their ranks, then why not positon them someplace closer to the higher ups? Sure, having anyone of them around or near Winter would most likely lead to their discovery but having them stationed near her advisors could prove just as advantageous. What had her even more confused was the fact that they referred to Winter as a Specialist.

Demi knew of her Aunt's extensive military career, which included her time as an Atlesian Specialist, but she hadn't been one in decades. Were these guys just idiots or did she hear them wrong? Her thoughts we cut short when the door to the interrogation room swung open and Demi's blood ran cold when she saw the woman who strolled inside.

Her hair was pure white and pulled back into a tight bun. Her uniform, a specialist's, though one of the older designs, was clean and pressed to perfection with no trance of any wrinkles on it whatsoever. Speaking of wrinkles, the woman's face was completely devoid of them but in their place were strong, firm features that showed immense experience and discipline. She knew her, recognizing her from photos she had seen around their home, but was stunned to see her standing there in person. Whatever theories Demi had regarding her situation were thrown out the window as the woman stood ramrod straight before her.

"Good evening, I am Specialist Winter Schnee and I'm here to ask you a few questions."

* * *

 **And the plot thickens. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a tough time deciding what I should reveal in the chapter and how the characters should interact. Naturally I wanted to insure that Jack didn't come across as being too obvious with his "bounty hunting" assignment but I also knew I wanted him to learn from Yang herself that, not only was Rudy in Mistral but that they were also sisters. Winter was also a major reveal I'd had in mind. I knew I wanted something big and epic to happen that would reveal to Demi that she wasn't where she thought she was.**

 **The next chapter will be a little more eventful. Obvious Demi is going to escape her confinement before meeting up with Jack. I'm still working out the details in regards to how Team RWBY as well as Demi and Jack meet up and come together. I'm sure that, as I write this, we'll begin to learn more about the upcoming Vol. 5 of RWBY and some details from that may help in furthering the plot of the story. All in all, I plan to keep this story as original as possible and, seeing as how the next volume won't premiere until next month, I'll have plenty of time to work on my story.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter so far. Please leave a review of what you thought was good and any improvements you think I should add. I'm trying to chop up the paragraphs a little more to make it easier to read and please no questions regarding Jack's origins or the nature of his Semblance. I promise that, as the story progresses, those questions will all be answered by him in due time. Just stick with me and we'll make it there together.**

 **Until next time RWBY fans.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

**The Hunt Begins**

 **115P.G.W. - Atlas Military Headquarters - Winter**

"Damn it!" Winter screamed, slamming her first into her desk.

Less than twelve hours ago Winter had received a transmission from the away team she had sent after Ironwood. Though she had faith in her abilities she still worried for the safety of her niece and had found it difficult to sleep. The moment she was notified of a transmission from them she leapt out of bed, dressed in a flash, and was in her office within minutes. What she heard cut her to her core. As soon as the screen lite up and she saw Qrow's face she knew something had gone wrong. Once he'd explained the situation to her she sent a retrieval team to bring them all home along with the transporter.

Being very careful to put the machine back together piece by piece they had made several attempts to restart the hunk of junk but to no avail. Even after extensive interrogations of Ironwood's men the most they were able to learn was that Ironwood and Demi had been sent someplace far beyond their reach. Now, out of desperation, Winter was having their intelligence division comb through Atlas Military records, hoping to find something to explain how the machine worked and what they might do to retrieve those now lost.

"Calm down Winter," Qrow said.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, Branwen! Ironwood is gone! My niece is missing! And I… I- "Winter choked on her words as hot tears began streaming down her face.

Unfazed by her uncharacteristic demeanor Qrow instinctively wrapped his around her, bring her into a close hug. Her strength spent on worrying for the safety of Demi, Winter didn't even try to fight him but instead sank into his chest, staining his already filthy shirt with her tears.

"She's all I have left," she managed to say between sobs. "She's all I have left of my sister, of my family. I can't lose her, Qrow. We have to get her back."

"I know and we will," he said in a soothing tone as he stroked her disheveled hair, "but exhausting yourself by searching for answers isn't going to help. Wherever Demi is I've no doubt she's safe. You trained her yourself. If anything she's falling back on the lessons you've instilled in her and already has the situation well in hand."

"I know," Winter said, feeling calm while being grasped by Qrow. Somehow, despite everything that had happened, she felt as if a great burden was being lifted off her shoulders. She didn't know why he made her feel this way, or rather she didn't want to admit to it, but for this one moment she felt as if she could let down her walls and vent without fear of being jugged as being weak. They stayed like that for a moment, Qrow stroking Winter's hair while she lay against his chest listening the uneven sounds of his beating heart.

It reminded him of when Rudy was just a little girl. Barley able to support herself on her tiny legs yet she would muster all the strength she had just to walk over to Qrow, a big smile on her face. He'd lift her into the air as she giggled happily and hold her close to him. Before long she would fall asleep in his arms, a little bundle of happiness that helped him to forget all the troubles of the world. Then, when they lost Summer, those small moments with Ruby became his anchor. They kept him stable at a time when everything seemed to be falling to pieces around him.

"Winter, why don't you go back to sleep. You're obviously exhausted."

"No, I'm perfectly fine. Besides, I need to be here should any progress be made in our investigation," she said as she pulled herself away.

"The investigation will continue even if you take a break. Come on, I'll walk you to your room."

"Qrow- "

"Don't argue with me, Winter. You'll be useless to everyone if you're dead on your feet. Now come on, it's off to bed."

Reluctantly, Winter allowed Qrow to drag her back to her quarters. Despite her earlier protests she found the closer they came to her door the more she began to feel the weight of her exhaustion. Before long she had difficulty just removing her jacket and shoes before collapsing onto her bed. Out cold Qrow simply pulled the blanket over her. For all her discipline and rigid mannerisms, he couldn't help but think she looked cute as she slept.

Making a daring move he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She moaned, causing Qrow's heart to stop for split second, before rolling onto her side. Qrow sighed and repressed the urge to laugh. For a moment he expected her to shot up and smack him.

Closing the door softly behind him Qrow made his way towards the interrogation rooms. While he typically wasn't a direct approach sort of guy, circumstances required he put in more effort on his part to help out. He started mulling around in his mind about ideas on how to gain the information they needed from their "guests." While Atlas had specific policies against physically assaulting prisoners he was certain he could disable the security monitors long enough to get what he needed before any part of their "accident" was recorded.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W - Atlas Embassy - Demi**

Few things in life had the ability to throw Demi completely off balance. No one knew how to do it better than her Aunt Winter and to be in her presence, albeit in a much younger body, was a combination bad enough to make her start questioning her own sanity. For the past hour they sat in silence as Winter quietly went through her belongings. Occasionally she would glance over at her in a condescending manner. While she respected the woman who had raised her that look alone made her want to break out of her handcuffs and smack her. Before long Winter finished her inspection and focused her attention on the young woman.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Demi Brisbane, though I suspect you would have already known that," she said.

"Your I.D. says your Demi Schnee. I must admit it's a rather well made fake. High quality. It's rare for us to see something that comes this close to our own."

"That's because it was the Atlas military who made it. I was issued it when I attained the status of Specialist. You would know, after all, you presented it to me."

"Is that so?" Winter said, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

Winter's initial opinion of the young woman had been anything but respectful. It was almost comical to think that someone would even dare to try and impersonate her. Yet, upon seeing the girl with her own eyes, she could understand why.

They're resemblance was striking, though she looked more like her younger sister Weiss than herself. After looking through her belongs, which wasn't much, she found that she had all the items needed to pass herself off as an official Specialist of the Atlas military. Her only problem came in attempting to pass herself off as Schnee, a critical mistake on her part.

"Why did you come here? What is your mission?"

"I came here seeking medical attention. I was in pursuit of a criminal, a traitor from Atlas, and during my pursuit I was flung through a portal that dropped me in an ally here in Mistral."

"And what is the name of this criminal you were attempting to arrest?"

"His name is James Ironwood."

Upon hearing the General's name said with such distain and familiarity Winter's eyes narrowed into a threatening glare. Demi immediately notice a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was if the room had dropped several degrees in temperature. She could sense the murderous intent coming from her Aunt and for the first time in her life she was truly afraid of the woman. She had known her to be a fearsome warrior and incredible tactician in her day but nothing could have prepared her for how fearful she felt for her own life at this moment.

"General Ironwood is the furthest thing from a traitor. He is the greatest military commander Remnant has to offer, not to mention Atlas, and is one of the few men I would trust my life with. For you to call him a traitor, while wearing that uniform, would be enough to have you court-martialed. However, considering you're anything but an Atlesian soldier, I'll just have to settle for incarceration."

"Why did you call him that?" Demi asked.

"Excuse me?" Winter said, taken aback by her odd question.

"Ironwood. Why do you refer to him as a General?"

"Because he is."

"That's impossible. Ironwood hasn't been a General for years. Until recently he was nothing more than a traitor and prisoner of Atlas."

"You honestly expect me to believe anything you say."

"Yes, especially because you were the one who deposed him."

Winter was completely floored by this accusation. From the moment the young woman had begun to speak she became convinced more and more that she was deluded, convinced that certain details in the world were vastly different than what they actually were.

Now, however, she knew for certain the girl was crazy. Worse yet was that she had the capacity to not only wield a weapon but also acquire the means to infiltrate an Atlas embassy. She, on the other hand, would not allow her to walk free.

"Guards," she spoke loudly.

Immediately the door to the interrogation room opened and two Atlas Military soldiers walked in before saluting her.

"Take this prisoner to a holding cell and confiscate her belongings. I want to have her transferred to Atlas for further interrogation and a full psych evaluation."

Wordlessly the guards did as they were told, uncuffing Demi from table before escorting her out into the hall. With one guard holding firmly onto her arm and the other taking her belongings along with them she began to wonder what would happen to her. Strange events had taken place and she wasn't able to make sense of it. Her only chance was to escape and hope that the outside world might provide her with the answers she sought.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. - Mistal Hotel - Team RNJR**

Jaune sat against the bed, staring at his shield propped up against the wall. Looking over the golden designs that now embroidered the face he couldn't help but relieve the moments leading up to Pyrrha's demise. Everything about it was crystal clear in his mind, even the complex emotions that had overworked his system the moment she pressed her lips against his.

He couldn't help but wonder if she'd had feelings for him and if so for how long? Why hadn't he known, why hadn't he seen it before? If there was anything he had taken away from that night is was that Pyrrha's final moments had left him with a great deal many unanswered questions. At times he wished he could talk to her, even for just a few seconds.

With his mind completely forgone he almost didn't hear the loud knocking on their door. Ren and Nora, who had been talking beside the window, glanced over at the foreign noise. They knew it couldn't belong to Ruby. With her Uncle Qrow still recovering from the scorpion poison he was charged with staying in bed to help his body heal.

That and, reflecting on past experience, Ruby had few qualms about walking into a person's room without knocking first. Thinking back on it there had actually been a few times where this had proved to be quite embarrassing, especially when Jaune had come walking out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waste just as she burst into the room.

Before long the knocking sounded again, louder this time and with greater urgency. Reluctantly Jaune rose to answer. Being the team leader it was naturally his responsibility to handle any problems that might affect his team. At most it was either news in regards to Haven academy and their request to see the Headmaster or something to do with the fee for their rooms.

While they'd had more than enough lien to pay for both while they were in Mistral it wasn't uncommon for outsiders to be harassed by shady owners looking to pocket more money from their patrons. Before the knocking could sound again Jaune grabbed hold of the door and slowly opened it. As he starred back at the lilac eyes looking at him he almost chocked.

"Hello," Yang said in a sing-song voice.

"Yang," Jaune finally managed "What are you doing in Mistral?"

"Oh, you know. Seeing the sights, enjoying the big city atmosphere, and tracking down my little sister. Speaking of which."

In a swift movement that caught him off guard Yang took hold of his hoodie and lifted him off the ground. When the momentary surprise passed he immediately realized that Yang had grabbed hold of him with two hands rather than just one. Looking down he noticed an artificial arm, spray painted in a manner that resembled her motorcycle. Before he could comment, however, Yang's eyes shifted from a calm lilac to a threatening crimson.

"Where's Ruby, Jaune? Where's my little sister?"

"Yang, calm down. She's fine. She's with your Uncle Qrow," Jaune managed to say.

"What? Uncle Qrow?" Yang said, surprised.

Completely forgetting Jaune Yang released her grip, sending the boy crashing into the wooden floor beneath. Jaune groaned with pain as his pride, as well as his ass, throbbed from the sudden impact.

"Where are they?" Yang almost yelled, completely ignoring Jaune's pained groans beneath her.

"In the next room," Ren answered, pointing to a door across the hall.

* * *

 **Mistral Hotel - Ruby**

Ruby lay on her bed, half asleep and half awake. The past few weeks had been a trying time for her and the team. Having her Uncle around and nearly losing him had brought the gravity of reality crashing down on her in a major way. Somethings would never be the same. Though she hated to admit it she knew she would never be the same person she had been when she started attending Beacon with her sister Yang. Starting with witnessing Cinder murder Pyrrha things had begun spiraling downwards fast. The only question was how long before it all came to and end.

As her mind began drifting off to sleep a loud knocking sounded on the door. Groggily she got up and headed over to see who it was. She assumed it was her Uncle, coming back from a trip to the Hotel bar without his key, again. When she opened the door, however, she wondered if she was actually dreaming. Standing in the doorway was her older sister Yang. There was a moment of silence between the two girls as each were at a loss for words. Then, without any warning, Yang scooped Ruby into a big hug, crushing her against herself while Ruby struggled for air amidst the behemoths that were her chest.

"Ruby, I'm so glad you're safe!" Yang said excitedly.

"Yang… you're crushing me," Ruby managed to say.

"Opps, sorry," Yang said as she released her sister from her ironclad grasp.

Ruby stumbled backwards, gasping for air as she took in the fact that her sister was standing right in front of her. Only yesterday she had written a letter to her, letting her know what had happened since she'd left home. Considering how unreliable regular mail was on Remnant it was nothing short of a miracle that Yang had arrived here not twenty-four hours after receiving her letter. As she regained composure she glanced out to team JNPR's room to see Jaune, Ren, and Nora all peaking out from the doorway. From the looks on their faces it was obvious Yang had payed them a visit first which didn't bode well for her.

"What are you doing here?" Ruby asked timidly.

"What do you think? Do you realize how worried Dad's been since you ran away? He's been beside himself with grief, not knowing if you were alive or dead!"

"But I sent you guys multiple letters. Did none of them reach you guys?"

"obviously not. You know how unreliable the regular post is. What are you doing out here anyway? What were you thinking?"

"Cinder" was all Ruby said. That one name summed up the entirety of her mission for coming to Mistral, to Haven academy. Yang's expression softened a little, aware of the burden her younger sister was carrying on her shoulders.

"Ruby, what happened at Beacon, there wasn't anything you could have done. I know you want to avenge Pyrrha, to bring Cinder to justice for what she's taken from us, but coming here isn't the way to do it. Even if you manage to find her what were you planning to do?"

"I don't know," Ruby admitted. She'd only ever thought as far ahead as Haven but nothing beyond that. She'd always been good at thinking on the fly but when facing off against Cinder and her goons she drew a blank every time.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't be here. I'm taking you home right now."

"But Yang- "

"No buts!" Yang said as she took hold of her sister's arm. As she began dragging her towards the door she slammed into a large fleshy barrier blocking her path. "Hey," she yelled.

"Hey yourself," replied Qrow in his gruff voice.

"Uncle Qrow? What are you doing here?" Yang blurted, suddenly back at square one of her family errands.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

* * *

 **Hotel Loby - Jack**

Jack sat quietly in his seat, his eyes closed in concentration as he used the dead spider he had planted on Yang earlier to act as his ears. The conversation thus far had given him some insight into his target. Apart from herself he had heard the distinct voices of at least two other people. He was certain there was more as a Hunter team usually consisted of four members.

What came as little surprise to him was the conversation with her younger sister. Hearing her speak Cinder's name, and mention Pyrrha Nikos of all people, told him that she was here on a mission of her own. Armed with this knowledge Jack might be able to formulate a plan that would allow him to us Cinder as bait. If all went well Ruby, as she was called, just might be willing to return with him to Salem without much trouble.

"Can I get you anything sir?"

His concentration broken, Jack glared up at the young waitress who had approached his table. The young girl obviously looked nervous. No doubt she was none too pleased that she had to entertain the man who looked like a living corpse. Despite the dim lighting of the upstairs balcony Jack's pale skin, bald head, and sharp icy blue eyes looked even more menacing than usual. The girl could almost swear the man was plotting to kill her the moment she made the slightest twitch.

"Bread and water," he said coldly.

"Bread and water. Anything to go with that," she asked nervously.

"No," he said.

"Right, I'll be right back with your order," she said and quickly left the table. Jack watched as the young girl nearly tripped over herself as she half bolted, half speed walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Rolling his eyes Jack settled back into his previous trance. As soon as the spider became active again he was greeted by a distinctly gruff voice. Jack almost fell out of his chair. The voice was very familiar to him and one he had not expected to hear. Exercising his control of the creature he maneuvered it up towards the top of Yang's pocket just enough for its eight beady eyes to take a good look around. With the spider acting as his eyes. He was able to see Ruby, exactly as Salem had described her, Yang and worst of all Qrow Branwen.

"Qrow," he hissed.

Almost as if he could hear him Qrow's eyes darted down to the spider. They narrowed, as if making certain that he was seeing it correctly. Nonchalantly he pointed at the creature and looked up at his Niece's.

"Yang, it looks like you have a hitchhiker."

"What? Eww, get it off! Get it off!" she screamed.

Yang smacked the spider from her pocket where it tumbled safely to the floor. Not letting up for an instant she began stomping the ground relentlessly in an effort to kill the creature. Realizing how strange it would be for the spider to survive her onslaught Jack cut his connection to the arachnid, returning it to its deceased state.

By now the girl had smashed it into paste but it had been worth it. Seeing now that Qrow Branwen was among their party made things a little more complicated. He would have to restructure his strategy to compensate for this unprecedented setback. Still though, things were starting to become interesting.

* * *

 **Atlas Embassy - Demi**

Demi was primed to escape. Having been left in the car of the two soldiers she couldn't help but think of how fortunate she was. Had Winter been smart, which she knew was incredibly so, she would have accompanied them. Thankfully this Winter, Winter 2 she had dubbed her, was either too busy or simply didn't care enough to consider this.

Before long they entered a long stretch of hallway free from the views of the cameras. With this convenient blind spot, she was ready to put her plan into action. Of all the tricks and abilities her Aunt Winter had taught her Demi was extremely proud of this one in particular. Using her forefinger, she pushed her right thumb out of its socket, dislocating it completely. The small popping sound it made went unnoticed by the soldiers though she suspected their helmets had helped to dampen the noise. Slipping her hand out of the cuffs she took hold of them to keep them from making noise and reset her thumb.

The moment they reached the middle of the hall Demi stumbled, causing her escort to drop down on one knee. When his partner moved to help wrench her back to her feet she slammed the base of her head against his jaw, knocking him our cold, before slamming he knee against the second.

Within ten seconds both guards were on the ground and she was free. Wasting little time, she stole one of their helmets to use as a disguise and quickly maneuvered out of the building. Assuming the place used the same blueprints as those in Vale and Vacuo then she would be outside and away from danger in minutes. Then all she would need to worry about was a disguise.

Just as she'd assumed it wasn't hard for her to evacuate the building. Having meet only a couple people on her way out neither of them had showed any interest in her, especially with the helmet covering her features. Once outside, however, the real mission began as she quickly set out to find some cloths to change into. Heading for the shadier section of Mistral Demi had little trouble stealing all the cloths she needed including jeans, shoes, and a large hoodie to conceal her hair. While she felt bad for stealing someone else's stuff these were desperate times.

Taking her uniform into an abandoned alleyway she managed to find a large metal barrel that had facilitated some homeless by being a makeshift fireplace. She quickly reignited the fire before reluctantly tossing her uniform in. Though she wished she could keep it the cloths would have given her away while on the run. She ten tossed in her I.D. badge as it had proved useless to her just moments ago. Lastly she looked to her last remaining items; her scroll, some lien, and her weapon.

Weighing her options, she decided to keep these. Never knew when she might need them again. However, that still left her hair. Despite her disguise Demi knew a hoodie wouldn't be enough to conceal her identity. She was completely against cutting it off and dying it was out of the question. Her only other option was a wig. Using her scroll's GPS, she was able to find a shop that was relatively close as well as cheap and headed straight for it. The moment she walked through the door a short, portly woman greeted her.

"Hello dearie, anything I can help you find?" she asked in a cheery manner.

"Uh, yes, I'd like to purchase a wig."

"Well then you've come to the right place," the woman said with a chuckle. "Do you prefer short or long hair."

"Long would be best," Demi answered, considering how used she was to having long hair herself.

"Right this way. Let's have a gander at what I've got."

The woman escorted Demi towards the back of her shop where the designs and color of the wigs changed from natural to absurd. Demi began to wonder if she should give dying her hair a second chance when her eyes stopped on a long haired, auburn colored wig. The woman had noticed this as well and quickly removed it from the shelf.

"Would you like to try it on?" she asked.

Demi simply nodded and the woman took her over to a mirror where she helped her shove her hair up under the wig. She made no mention of her unnatural hair color, probably assuming it was some fade the kids were going through, and helped to let the hair down in a natural fashion. Taking a good look at herself Demi almost didn't recognize the person staring back. The auburn coloring completed her features in an odd fashion, making her look less like her mother and more like… like someone else.

"You look absolutely lovely," the woman said, beaming with pride.

"I'll take it," Demi said to her delight.

Still wearing the wig, she followed her back to the front where she found that she thankfully had enough to pay for her newest disguise. The moment she handed the woman her lien her heart almost stopped as the woman starred curiously at the currency. Demi began to panic wondering if, like Winter, the lien in this world was somehow different. Thankfully the woman's eyes lite up as she spoke.

"Oh, this must be the new design I've been hearing about."

"Oh, yes, it just came out," Demi said, playing along.

"Oh that's wonderful. I love what they've done with it. So much fresher than the previous edition."

"I completely agree," Demi said, releasing a sigh of relief as she took her change and quickly exited the store.

Armed with her new disguise Demi was ready to take on Remnant. The only problem now was where to begin? She had no idea where Ironwood had slunk off to and no way to contact her team back in Atlas. She was alone, without any guidance whatsoever. For the first time she felt completely isolated, unsure of what she should do.

It didn't last long, however, as she quickly snapped back into her training. First of all, she wasn't in unfamiliar territory. This was Mistral, after all, and Haven academy would be close by. Knowing that, and considering how late it was, she'd have to wait until morning before she could make any progress. Armed with what was left of her lien she set out to find a place to stay and start her hunt once again.

* * *

 **Whew, finally finished. Man, this chapter took me a while to complete. Partly because I couldn't figure out how I wanted the beginning to play out and 90% due to the fact that I had a four-day weekend which I spent sleeping and playing my new copy of Destiny 2.**

 **Needless to say things are starting to get interesting. I wanted to establish a bit of story for Winter and Qrow in the future to at least show that they were aware of what was happening and are actively trying to get Demi back home. We won't see much of Ironwood until the latter half of the story. I mostly want to focus on Team RWBY (without Blake, sorry for that in advance) and JNPR plus Jack and Demi once they start tagging along.**

 **Funny thing I was having some trouble earlier on figuring out how I wanted the story to play out. Thankfully, though, a throw away line from the previous chapter helped me to really flesh out the story. Not to give too much away but it'll definitely make things much more interesting and plausible, given the fact that it'll mostly revolve around Weiss having escaped her father and Atlas as a whole.**

 **The next few chapters will kind of be crazy as we'll see everyone starting to come together. You'll also start to learn a little more about Jack's past as well as see the interaction between him and Weiss. Knowing that those two won't like each other at all will help to facilitate some rather humorous and even touching scenes.**

 **As of now I have 7 followers and favorites which has me supper excited. I promise to upload more when I can, though if it takes me some time that's due to my belief of quality of quantity. Until next time. Peace!**


	5. Chapter 4: Hello, Goodbye

**So, after checking out some of the reviews you guys left me (love those, by the way. I'm always excited to see them waiting for me when I check my account) I noticed two distinct things that will be set in place beginning with this chapter. First and foremost, I will be doing a review of the chapter to check for grammar, spelling errors, etc. Honestly I've been meaning to do that with some of my previous chapters but I was caught up in the excitement of simply posting the new chapter and seeing your reactions.**

 **Second, I will be making it more clear when the story switches between the future and the present. As far as time lines for we'll call the present 85 P.G.W. otherwise known as 85 years post the Great War. Given that we don't have an exact timeline to work off of in RWBY that's the best I've been able to find to work with. The future, which is 30 years later, will obviously be 115 P.G.W. I'll also add the person's name of whom we're seeing it from (example: 85 P.G.W.-Jack or 115 P.G.W.-Winter.) If you'd prefer that I also post the person's name at each transition to make it easier to figure out what's going on I'll be sure to do that as well.**

* * *

 **Hello, Goodbye**

 **115 P.G.W. - Qrow Branwen**

"Qrow!" Winter screeched as she made a beeline for the bruised and drunken huntsman.

Qrow Branwen took a lazy sip from his flask only to find it empty. Glaring into the empty abyss of the container he stowed it away inside his pockets before hiding his bruised knuckles within them as well. Though he knew the effort was a futile one he thought it best to give Winter as little evidence as possible to use against him.

"Winter, I see that nap did you some good," Qrow said cheerily.

"Don't patronize me, Branwen. I heard what you did to our prisoner. Do you have any idea what the repercussions of your actions will be?"

"You're welcome," Qrow answered in an annoyed tone.

"Qrow, this is serious!"

"Calm down, Ice Queen. I made sure that none of it could be traced back to you."

"Qrow- "

"Winter, think about it. No one associated with Atlas was involved. The security system was conveniently inoperable during the incident so there's no hard evidence that can be used against you and we got some much needed information from our little guest."

Winter's sharp glare slowly softened. Though she wanted to argue the ethics of Qrow's actions she couldn't help but admit that he had gotten the results they desperately needed. Still, she wondered just how she was going to explain this incident to their investigations department. Sure, it was her word against a convicted felon's but it didn't sit right with her to use such underhanded tactics. If they weren't careful they could end up walking the same path Ironwood had during his administration. They had worked too hard to scrub the sins of the past from their memories.

"How are you're knuckles?" she asked, attempting to move to a lighter subject.

"A little sore but nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"I see and the information you gathered, what did it entail?"

"Well, their objective was, in fact, to transport Ironwood somewhere using the portal machine but the manner in which it was used seems farfetched."

"How do you mean?"

"Apparently, they were convinced they could augment it to not only send Ironwood to another location but another point in time as well."

"You can't be serious."

"I didn't believe it myself so I had you boys down in the lab look into it for me. They're supposed to get back to us when they have something solid to go off of."

"General Schnee!" they heard a voice call out.

Both Qrow and Winter turned to see a technician racing towards them before coming to an exhausted halt. From how red and sweaty his face was he had obviously been running as fast as he could just to deliver whatever information.

"Ma'am… we have… news," he managed to say.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Branwen's information was correct."

"Really?" Qrow said, surprised himself.

"Indeed. We didn't think it was plausible at first but after running some simulations we were able to confirm the possibility that someone could send specific objects back through time."

"How is that even possible?" Winter asked, still somewhat baffled herself.

"Under normal circumstances it would be impossible. Without a sister gate the possibility of reaching the desired destination has a one in ten-billion chance of success. However, if there was something to anchor them to a specific time, as well as a massive amount of power fueling the machine, then one could enter the portal and come out in another time period. In theory, of course."

"You said they'd need something to anchor them to the past. What did you mean by that?" Qrow asked though he already had an idea in mind.

"It would need to be something powerful, an object imbued with a massive amount of aura."

"Ozpin's cane," Qrow hissed.

"What?" Winter asked, her attention squarely on him.

"Ironwood's men, back at the facility, were using Ozpin's cane as part of the machine. I didn't remember it until now. Thing is it's much more than just a simple walking cane. Ozpin infused it with a massive amount of Aura, turning it into a weapon that allowed him to go toe to toe with several formidable enemies in the past. James must have known this and used it as an anchor to send him back in time."

"We also noticed immense power fluctuations occurring at the compound over the past few weeks. They were obviously had this planned from the beginning," the technician finished.

"Do you have a theory as to where they ended up?" Winter asked, somewhat convinced of the plausibility of time travel.

"We do ma'am. While we don't have an exact location we have been able to ascertain the exact time period to be about 85 P.G.W. or, in layman's terms, 85 years post the Great War."

"That's about thirty years ago, around the same time James started putting Atlas on a full scale lockdown," Qrow pointed out.

"Is there anyway we might be able to contact Demi?" Winter asked in a frantic tone.

"We're working on that right now, Ma'am. We'll let you know as soon as we have something."

"See that you do. The sooner we can contact my niece the sooner the better."

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. – Present Day – Hotel Bar**

When it comes to the life of a Hunter, one of the first lessons taught is to be unpredictable. Be spontaneous, elusive, avoid forming habits. Sticking to this philosophy helps to insure that a Huntsman is able to avoid being taken down by almost any enemy, Human, Grimm or otherwise. Unfortunately, this lesson must have been implemented after Qrow's days at the academy as, per usual, he was found sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey in an attempt to forget the throbbing in his side. It came as no surprise to Jack that he would find the old Huntsman here, in his natural habitat.

"Qrow Branwen, nursing you wounds with an unhealthy amount of alcohol I see," Jack said.

Qrow's ears perked up, taking note of the familiar voice. "Jack Brisbane, figures I'd see your scrawny ass here," he remarked.

Rising from his seat Qrow moved to take his old friend's hand and pulled him into a manly hug. Jack patted his back in an affectionate manner, his usually hard features softening in the presence of friendly company. Taking a seat next to Qrow's he leaned against the bar, feeling at ease for the first time in months.

"What'll you have," Qrow asked.

"Water," Jack replied.

"Predictable, as usual," Qrow joked.

"It's better than drinking whiskey like a fish," Jack shot back.

"Whatever. So, what brings you to Mistral? On the hunt for another bounty?"

"As always. Been doing some reconnaissance and found that my target is among dangerous company."

"By reconnaissance you wouldn't happen to mean the spider that was tagging along with my niece Yang, would you?"

"Noticed that, did you? Truth be told I wasn't expecting one of my little spies to be found out so quickly."

"I only noticed it because it was acting in such a strange manner. Only one of you deceased pets would be so cautious. What was it doing hanging on her anyway?"

"She happened to give me a ride into town. Didn't know who she was so I figured I'd tag her just in case she'd lead me to my target."

"And did she?" Qrow asked, giving Jack a sideways glance.

"Yes and no. What it told me was that you were here so I could at least count on your assistance should I need it."

"I see but you haven't answered my question."

"Truth be told I'm not quite sure myself. Mistral is a big place, after all, and my target's description was fairly generic."

"How generic are we talking?"

"Young woman, mid to late teens, short hair."

"Ran away from home?"

"More like a hit and run. People involved want me to bring her in to ensure justice is satisfied."

"Thought you hated those kinds of jobs."

"I do but it pays the bills."

"I see, so what are your plans?"

"All things considered I figured I stick around you for a while."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course. With any luck I might have the misfortune of running across my target while we're here," Jack said with a smirk.

"Smart ass," Qrow said with a smile

* * *

 **Hotel Lobby – Demi Brisbane**

Demi couldn't help feeling self-conscious as she walked into the hotel lobby. Though she was confident her disguise would be enough to fool the Atlesian soldiers she still felt like the eyes of everyone around her were peering through her disguise, peeling back the layers of lies to force the real Demi to the surface. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar environment or the strange encounter she'd had with the woman who resembled a younger version of her Aunt Winter that had left her feeling unguarded and exposed. Self-consciously she adjusted her wig, hoping no one noticed. The last thing she needed was for a stray white hair to slip out and betray her identity.

In hindsight it might not have been the best idea to choose a hotel based solely on the fact that a distinctly familiar yellow and black motorcycle was parked outside. The bike had reminded her of something similar from her childhood. Her Aunt Ruby's elder sister, Yang Xio Long, had a motorcycle just like it, though the paint job was distinctly more weathered and faded than the one outside. Still, seeing it had brought with it a feeling of comfort and security. Yang had always been a strong and dependable person and a lot of fun to be around. Those feelings had coerced her into walking inside.

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, however, she instinctively put up her guard as her eyes scanned the immediate area for potential threats. She could easily spot several hunters as well as military personnel enjoying some off duty time. Various other characters with distinctive scars and tattoos gave her the impression that they may have been residents of Mistral's seedier underbelly. While Demi's senses allowed her to spot most of the potential threats that surrounded her she seldom noticed anyone who had a more neutral stance.

"Oof!" she heard a young woman cry out as Demi smacked into her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I should've been paying more attention to where I was going," Demi quickly apologized as she moved to help the young woman to her feet.

"It's fine, I wasn't watching where I was going either."

As soon as the girl was back on her feet Demi couldn't help but stare at the girl with a sense of disbelief. The young woman, who was slightly shorter than herself, was wearing a red cloak over a dark brown corset and white blouse with thigh high stockings that were torn in various places and well worn boots. She had dark hair with red highlights in them but most distinctively of all were her silver eyes. Demi had to stop herself from blurting out the girl's name, reminded of the awkward situation she had only just escaped back at the Embassy.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked with a puzzled look.

"Uh, no, no, you just seemed familiar for some reason," Demi managed to say.

"Yea, I get that a lot. I have a fairly distinctive look that most people don't forget."

"I can see why."

"My name's Ruby, by the way. Ruby Rose," Ruby said, holding out her hand.

"I'm Demi, uhh," she hesitated, realizing she couldn't use her real name. "Demi Erwin," she finished.

"Nice to meet you Demi. This is my sister Yang Xio Long," she said, pointing to the blond standing behind her. "And these are Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie."

"Nice to meet you all."

"What brings you to Mistral," Ruby asked.

"Oh, I'm going to Haven Academy," Demi said, only slightly telling the truth.

"Really? We're headed their ourselves. Why don't you come with us?"

"What? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Demi asked, surprised by Ruby's forwardness.

"Of course. Jaune is always saying strangers are friends you haven't meet yet and we're friends now," Nora chimed in.

"It's also better to travel in groups rather than alone," Ren added.

"Oh, ok, sure, I'd love to," Demi said.

"Great then how about you join us for dinner?" Yang suggested.

"Someone say dinner?" Qrow's gruff voice said from out of nowhere.

"I'm surprised you'd even have room for solid food, considering how much you've had to drink," Jack shot his way.

"Hey, Uncle Qrow, who's your friend?" Ruby asked.

Demi was wondering the same thing as she took a good look at the slender, pale stranger standing next to Qrow Branwen. She already recognized Qrow who, apart from looking a few years younger, was exactly the same in terms of drunkenness. While she tried not to stare she couldn't help but feel that she knew the man from somewhere. He was strangely familiar to her and the fact that she couldn't quite place him was beginning to bug her.

"This is an old friend of mine, Jack Brisbane," Qrow said, motioning to his companion.

Demi felt her heart take a nose dive. Jack Brisbane? Her father, Jack Brisbane? There was no possible way it could have been him. Coincidence, perhaps, but even that was slim. Apart from her mother's side of the family all the member's of her father's were long since deceased well before Demi was even born. It was possible that she simply misheard the name but something inside her whispered that there was no mistaking it. If he truly was Demi's father, then her earlier assumptions regarding where she was had clearly off the mark.

"Hey stranger," Yang said cheerfully.

"Aww great, the blond maniac who nearly killed me on her motorcycle is back," Jack mumbled.

"Come again?" Qrow asked, interested in the story.

"Wuss," Yang mocked.

"I'm fairly certain I lost ten years off my lifespan from that little joyride you took me on."

"Really? Well this should be an interesting story. Speaking of which, who's your new friend?" Qrow asked, motioning to Demi.

"This is Demi Erwin. She's going with us to Haven tomorrow. She's enrolling in the academy," Ruby said.

"I see. Well, the more the merrier. Come on, lets get our grub on."

With Qrow leading the way the group followed suit as their stomachs rumbled in anticipation. Only Demi and Jack seemed less than pleased about the situation. While both hid their reasons well, beneath the surface a multitude of thoughts and emotions were waging a war of attrition. For now, though, they would each play their part as they struggled to grasp the ever changing situation and work towards achieving their individual goals.

* * *

 **Atlas Embassy – Winter Schnee**

Winter was furious. Not ten minutes after releasing the prisoner into the custody of the Embassy security a report came in that the girl had managed to overpower the guards and escape the Embassy without leaving a trace. She didn't know what she found more embarrassing, the fact that two highly trained Atlesian guards had been taken down so easily by a young woman or the fact that she had managed to make her escape so seamlessly that they didn't have a single clue to point them to her location. One thing was for sure, Ironwood wasn't going to be happy about this.

"Specialist Schnee?" a voice called out over the office intercom.

"What is it?" she responded, somewhat irritated by the interruption.

"You have a visitor, Ma'am."

"Tell them to come back tomorrow. I'm in no mood to entertain at the moment."

"I did but she insists on seeing you."

"She?" Winter spoke aloud to no one. "Let her in."

Moments after saying this the door to her office opened and a young woman stepped inside. She was only a few years younger than Winter, dressed in an aqua blue skirt with matching heals. Her hair was set into a ponytail on the side and in her hands she held a large suitcase. Winter couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Weiss, what are you doing here?" she said, half excited to see her younger sister and half irritated.

"My apology's for not making a formal announcement of my intent to come and see you, dear sister, but, unfortunately, things back home made it difficult to announce my arrival."

"I take it you had another fight with father and decided to run away from home," Winter stated, eyeing the suitcase in her hands.

"Things are actually much worse than that. With how things were progressing in Atlas, the political atmosphere made it nearly impossible for me to get out without being noticed."

"What do you mean? What's happened in Atlas?"

"Winter," Weiss hesitated, wondering if she should trust her sister to put her before her loyalties to Ironwood. "Ironwood has put Atlas on lockdown. I heard him arguing with father in his office, making some very nasty threats. I know it's a lot to ask of you but please, as your sister, I'm asking that you not tell Ironwood that I'm here."

"Weiss you know I can't- "Winter began.

"Please! If he finds out where I've gone it could have serious political complications for our family, for your courier. Just hear what I have to say before you make any major decisions," Weiss pleaded.

Winter looked into her sister's blue eyes. For as long as she could remember Weiss had always been by her side. They had defied their father, supported one another in every endeavor. Yet, to find herself having to choose between her loyalties to her family and her loyalties to her commander was not a comfortable position to be in. However, she knew Weiss well enough that she wouldn't ask for a favor like this without good reason. Winter released a heavy sigh, knowing that she may come to regret this decision one day.

"Come with me," she said.

* * *

 **Finally managed to finish this chapter. It was actually going to be much longer but I decided to split it up to make it easier on myself as well as make the continuity more fluid. As you can see a majority of the RWBY cast is going to be a part of the story. Just to make a few things clear now, though, Qrow will be leaving come next chapter and you won't be seeing Oscar in her either. While I know some of you may not like it I have to say that I'm simply doing it to make things easier on me story telling wise. While I had initially planned to have them as part of the overall story ark I decided to remove them to simply have fewer characters to worry about.**

 **We'll also be seeing Teams RWBY and JNPR along with Jack and Demi heading out into the big world. Events are going to take place that put them on the run and we'll start to see some interaction between Weiss and Jack.**

 **Also, just a heads up, I'm looking to someone create some cover art for my story. I'll be sure to update my profile page with the details but for the most part I'd like to showcase your talents along with my fanfic and ensure that your work is credited.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and be sure to leave me a review on what you enjoyed and what could use some work.**

 **Until next time RWBY fans.**


	6. Chapter 5: Scapegoats and Shortcuts

**Scapegoats and Shortcuts**

 **85 P.G.W. – Hotel – Demi**

Not long after dinner Demi found herself wandering the grounds outside the hotel. The meal had been a little awkward for her, namely due to having so many people she knew and recognized from her childhood sitting around her as complete strangers. With each passing moment she was becoming more and more convinced that she was starting to lose her mind, an unfortunate result of her turbulent landing after being flung from the portal. As soon as she'd secured a room for herself and said goodnight to the others she slipped outside for some fresh air.

Pulling herself away from it all she was able to regain a better perspective on the situation. While she initially believed the people around her were simply illusions created by her mind to help her cope with the unfamiliar surroundings there were just too many odd occurrences. For one, the fact that everyone was considerably younger. She could chalk this up to her subconscious making them easier to accept by portraying them as being her age but she doubted that greatly. Another factor was her Aunt Winter. Assuming the woman she had meet previously was real her attitude towards her was completely different from how she usually interacted with her. Even when she was mad or irritated she'd never seen her act in such a strange manner.

The worst offender, however, was Jack Brisbane, her supposed father. Demi had never really had a chance to know the man who'd married her mother. She had barley turned five when her parents were taken from her. Yet, when she concentrated hard enough on recalling some of her earliest memories she could sometimes remember a tall, slender man with a warm smile. She'd even had moments where a noise or image would spark something in her and she'd hear a man's familiar voice calling out to her, calling her his "little snowflake."

Winter had told her that it was her father's pet name for her. She had been his little snowflake, his pride and joy. The thought made her smile but it was always saddening. She couldn't remember Jack at all. The man she'd sat with at dinner, apart from being similar in his overall physique, was quiet and guarded. He spoke little and ate less. Even when he did speak it was in short, to the point statements. If they were related, he was a far cry from the man she'd imagined him to be.

Completely lost in thought Demi nearly jumped out of her skin when her scroll began buzzing. With the events that had taken place over the past few hours she'd completely forgotten that she still had it and was even more perplexed that she was able to receive any calls whatsoever. Pulling it out she noticed the caller had no known identification. Hesitant, she pressed the green accept button, wondering who in Remnant would be calling her.

"Hello?" A portly man with an unkempt beard appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" Demi replied, even more confused now than she was before.

"Are you Demi Schnee?" the man asked.

"I am," she said. Though she knew it was a terrible idea to acknowledge her identity to a man she didn't know on her scroll she was also certain that no one, apart from Winter, knew her real name.

"Stand by," the man said before disappearing from the screen.

Moments after he left her Aunt, General Winter, appeared on screen. Instinctively Demi snapped to attention, reverting to her training. Winter squinted at her from the other end of the call, attempting to discern if the woman she was looking at really was her niece.

"Demi?" she said.

"Yes ma'am," Demi replied, still standing at attention.

"At ease, soldier. I almost didn't recognize you. What have you done to your hair?"

"It's a wig, ma'am. Recent events have forced me to adopt an alternate identity. I've regretfully had to dispose of my uniform and identification badge," she said.

"No doubt all necessary endeavors to insure you weren't identified."

"Indeed," Demi said, feeling relieved that her aunt had approved of her actions.

"Hey kid, how's it going?" a gruff voice cut in.

Stepping into the frame was Qrow Branwen, looking as drunk and haggard as ever. Winter scowled, obviously annoyed that he was cutting into the conversation, but said nothing of the matter. As odd as it may sound Demi found his presence somewhat reassuring. The fact that they were together meant her team had made it back to Atlas safely and much of what had gone on would have been reported to her Aunt by now.

"Demi, we don't have much time so I'll be brief," Winter said as the screen flickered. "We were able to recover most of the equipment utilized by Ironwood and his men as well as capture and interrogate some of his operatives."

"Were you able to find out where they sent us?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes though the answer may surprise you."

"How so?"

"Brace yourself kid. This one's for the history books," Qrow said with a smirk.

"Demi, as far as we can tell, you've been sent back in time. Thirty years back to be precise."

Demi's mouth fell open in utter disbelief. Her initial reaction was to state how crazy the concept was but she was quickly overruled by the unusual events that had only recently taken place. Her interaction with Winter, the younger versions of family members she'd known since she was a child. Even Qrow's presence here told her that, as crazy as it may sound, time travel may actually explain everything.

"Demi, are you alright?" her aunt's voice broke through her thoughts.

"No, I mean yes, I'm just trying to absorb it all," she said.

"I know. I had a difficult time believing it myself," Winter admitted.

"Truth be told though, everything points to what you've said being true."

"How so?"

"Several hours ago, after I followed Ironwood into the portal, it spat me out somewhere in Mistral."

"Mistral?" Winter commented.

"Yes. I wasn't far from the embassy so I went there first, expecting to find help. Instead, the guards arrested me."

"What! Why?"

"For attempting to impersonate Specialist Winter Schnee in order to gain access the to Embassy," she said flatly.

Almost immediately Qrow fell off screen. Confused, she was about to ask what was wrong when the sound of loud, riotous laughter emanated from the speakers. Demi and Winter exchanged irritated glances, neither of them finding the situation at all humorous. Qrow managed to stumble back into view, gasping for air as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Are you finished Branwen?" Winter asked, not even trying to hide her annoyance with him.

"You have to admit, that's the funniest thing you've ever heard. Being arrested for attempting to impersonate your own Aunt. Now that's one for the history books."

"I take it you managed to escape your confinement?" Winter asked, ignoring Qrow altogether.

"They never even had the chance to incarcerate me. Once I had the opportunity I took it and escaped."

"Excellent. Where are you now?"

"I'm at a local hotel. With everything that's been going on I figured it would be best to head to Haven Academy and start my investigation there."

"Good work. No doubt you'll find success there."

"I should hope so. I'm heading there with a group of friends tomorrow."

"Friends?" Winter asked, perplexed.

"Yes, um," Demi hesitated, wondering just how much her actions may be damaging her future. "To be more specific I've meet up with Aunt Ruby, Yang, and Nora as well as Uncle Jaune and Ren. I've also found Qrow, the younger version, to be exact."

"Impressive," Qrow commented, nodding his head in approval.

"There's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"I've," Demi hesitated, choking briefly on the words as they escaped her mouth, "I've meet my father. I've meet Jack Brisbane."

Whatever humor Qrow had found at the expense of Demi was quickly forgotten. Both Qrow and Winter starred at Demi with solemn looks, neither knowing what to say. Demi herself was at a loss for words. All her life she'd wanted to know more about her parents and now that the ball was in her court she hesitated. Though she hated to admit it she was afraid of what she might learn.

"What's he like?" Qrow finally.

"What?"

"Your father, what's he like?"

"Oh, um, tall, pale, light blue eyes, almost like ice. He hardly ever talks. Not exactly the warmest first impression," she recounted.

"Give him the benefit of the doubt. Jack was a much different man before he met your mother," Qrow advised.

"Demi, we don't have much time left. We're working on a way to bring you home but we're not sure how we can do that without a sister portal to assist us. If you can we'll need you to head to Atlas and find the Schnee Dust Company facility. With any luck we'll be able to walk you through the process of augmenting it to send you home."

"I'll do what I can. Right now I'm still trying to locate Ironwood."

"I understand but that should be your secondary objective. Getting you home is our most important task right now. However, if you should happen to come across James," Winter took a deep breath, "he is to considered extremely dangerous. Do not hesitate to eliminate him if given the chance."

"I understand," Demi said, her heart sinking at the prospect of having to kill a man.

"Good luck, Specialist."

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. – Hotel Bathroom – Jack**

Jack was five years old, playing outside his family home. With a stick for a sword he fought off imaginary hordes of Grimm, cutting down any who came too close. Before long his little lungs began to burn and Jack plopped promptly on the warm grass, struggling to catch his breath. Since the day he was born Jack had been a sickly child. His mother, who worried for her little boy, spent most of her time at the local church praying for his wellbeing, her philosophy being one of faith rather than works when it came to raising her child. His father wasn't much better. The breadwinner of the family, he worked the local dust mine from dusk till dawn, hardly ever making his presence known within the lives of his children.

"Jack," he heard a woman's voice call out.

Excitedly, Jack turned to see his older sister, Eli, walking towards him with her arms hidden behind her back. The only daughter of the Brisbane family, Eli was as beautiful as she was kind. With pale skin that contrasted against her long, auburn colored hair she was the most sought after maiden in the village. Despite being hounded by constant suitors she turned them all down, choosing to care for her brother Jack over starting a life of her own.

For as long as he could remember Eli had always been at his side. She was more of a mother figure to him than their actual mother. Even when he tried to recall memories of their mother her face was always that of Eli's.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fighting Grimm," he said proudly. "I'm going to be a Hunter when I grow up."

To be a Hunter and go on adventures all over Remnant was Jack's fondest dream. Occasionally their village would be visited by one of these legendary warriors. Whenever one came to town Eli wasted little time making sure Jack had a chance to meet them. She seldom failed as she was an expert in using her "endowments" to her advantage, quickly stealing their attention before shifting the conversation to her brother. Needless to say they were always happy to entertain Jack so long as his sister stuck around.

"You can't go fighting Grimm with a stick. A proper Huntsman needs a proper weapon," she said.

"But it's all I got," Jack said in protest.

"Really? Then what's this?" She said, pulling a large box out from behind her back.

Immediately forgetting his makeshift weapon Jack tore open the box the box and stared at its contents. Inside was a large wooden sword, crudely carved and not at all symmetrical. Jack immediately took it in hand, a smile spreading across his face. It was obvious his sister had made this herself. She must have spent months carving the toy, making it as perfect as she could manage. He loved it.

"Happy Birthday, my little Huntsman," she said.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Jack cried out excitedly, giving her a hug.

"Now you can really show those Grimm how strong you are," she said, pleased.

Jack swung the wooden sword around, feeling its weight in his hands. It was leagues better than the stick and slashed through the tall grass like a hot knife through butter. He thrashed around with even greater vigor than before, felling hordes of Grimm in his wake. It was the greatest gift anyone had given him and nothing would come close.

"Jack," he heard his sister call out lovingly.

"Jack," she called out again, her voice more distant than it was before.

"Jack!" she cried.

Jack whirled around, panicked by her sudden cry of alarm. With her arms outstretched towards him Eli desperately reached out as a dark shadow with blood red eyes descended upon her. Jack made a beeline for his sister, his tiny legs screaming out as he pushed them to their limits. Eli's terror stricken face became engulfed by the shadow as it wrapped its claws around her body.

"Eli!" he cried, reaching out towards her. "Eli!"

"Jack!" she cried.

"Eli!" he bellowed, his arm outstretched in front of him.

Jack's eyes darted around the room, his mind slowly catching up with him. He was laying in the hotel room tub, using one of the towels as a makeshift pillow. The night before he had tried and failed to sleep in the bed. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable but rather that it was too comfortable. Having spent nearly a year in Salem's stone dungeon with nothing but the cold, hard ground for a bed had made it difficult to sleep in anything else. The tub had proved to be a perfect substitute and before long Jack had drifted off to sleep only to be accosted by a childhood memory turned nightmare.

Jack wiped his forehead, finding a thin layer of sweat. Being reminded of the tragedies of the past was something he wasn't very fond of. Climbing out he walked into the bedroom and snatched up his sunglasses from the bedside table. He slipped them before pulling back the curtains to let in the harsh morning light. Outside Mistral was alive with people moving about like ants, a stark contrast to how Jack himself felt.

It had been a long time since he'd been hounded by unwanted childhood memories. More than anything he wanted to crawl back into the tub and stay there. Surrounded by its porcelain walls he'd feel safe. This thought was interrupted by a sharp knocking on his hotel room door. Fate, it seemed, would not allow him to shirk his duties. He had a job to do and if he ever truly wanted to escape from this world he'd see it through.

"Morning," Qrow said cheerfully when Jack opened the door.

"I forgot you were a morning person," Jack growled in protest.

"Not really. My nieces were kind enough to wake me at the crack of dawn."

"Really? Remind me to never have kids then," Jack said sarcastically.

"I doubt you'll need help in that department."

Jack scowled at Qrow who simply smiled in response. With his gear in hand he followed his old friend downstairs to check out and start on their journey. Leading their entourage of teenagers they headed towards Haven academy. While the children socialized amongst themselves Jack's mind began formulating a plan to insure he left Mistral with Ruby in hand. Working through the scenarios everything fell apart the moment Qrow came into play. Despite his abilities and years of experience Qrow was the common factor that prevented him from achieving victory. He would simply have to be patient. An opportunity would present itself sooner or later. At worst he would have to incapacitate his old friend to insure he found success. He didn't like the thought but that's simply how life was. You either rose above the masses or found yourself trampled underneath.

* * *

 **Dragon Continent – Salem's Castle – Salem**

"Watts, I trust you were successful in your assignment," Salem said, speaking to Prof. Watts over his scroll.

"Yes, my lady. Prof. Lionheart has agreed to join our cause."

"Excellent," she said with a smile.

Weeks ago Salem had sent Prof. Watts to Haven academy in an effort to turn the headmaster over to their side. While Cinder had originally been slated for the assignment recent events had required she stay behind and continue training under Salem's tutelage. Watts was therefore the next choice. Resourceful in more ways than one she was confident her servant would be able to convince Lionheart of the legitimacy of their cause. What's more this added another member to her sphere of influence, insuring Salem had greater control over the events that would soon grace Mistral.

"Before you return I have one last assignment I need you to do."

"Name it, my lady, and it shall be done."

"Not too long ago I sent Jack Brisbane to hunt down the young girl, Ruby Rose. My sources tell me she's in Mistral and that Jack has located her there."

"Do you need me to intercept them?"

"No, from what I've been informed they're on their way to Haven academy. I'd like you prepare a special welcome for them. Make sure the girl is brought to me unharmed."

"And Jack," Watts inquired.

"I want him alive. He's proven useful in the past. Do whatever you need to bring him home but under no circumstances are you to kill him."

"It shall be done," Watts said before his image cut off from the scroll.

Salem smiled as she put the scroll away. Everything was beginning to fall into place. Despite Tyrian's previous failure it had enabled her to confirm the girl's location. Now that she had Jack following close behind she could heard them into her trap. The girl she'd hand off to Cinder. Having her eliminate the child personally would ensure her loyalty to their cause. As for Jack, well, she'd find a way to win him over. If he was smart he would bow to her willingly. Unfortunately she didn't foresee him being a man who honored alliances but that didn't matter. One way or another she would tighten her grasp around his neck and insure his abilities were put to good use.

* * *

 **Mistral – Haven Academy – Jack**

Jack eyed the Mistral guards with suspicion. While it had been a while since he'd last visited Haven he didn't recall it having a security force outside its gates. The events at Beacon would be excuse enough for the administration to increase security but even he could tell they were over doing. Every turn they took seemed to be accompanied by a pair of guards, none of whom were doing a very good job at hiding their nervous glances from him and Qrow. Something was up and Jack didn't like it one bit.

"Is it me or are things a bit too claustrophobic around here?" Jack whispered to Qrow.

"I know what you mean. I can feel the guard's eyes on the back on my head. Think we've been marked by someone?"

"Don't know but keep your guard up. I'm sure whomever has us tagged is going to spring on us soon enough."

With Qrow leading the way they followed the long hallways through the academy to the Headmaster's office. All along the way Jack flicked out a small insect or spider, being cautious not to draw attention to himself. Before long they reached Lionheart's office and knocked. It was a few moments before the door opened and a large, muscular man stood in the threshold to greet them. He had long brown hair that splayed out in all directions and migrated down from his head to become part of his beard, giving him the impression of having a lion's mane. His sharp brown eyes peered out from the top of a pair of spectacles he kept perched on the edge of his nose.

"Qrow. Jack. How wonderful it is to see you two and I see you've brought guests."

"Yea, we weren't expecting to bring a circus along with us," Qrow said jokingly.

"Think nothing of it. Please, everyone, come inside and make yourselves at home. I just happen to have a fresh pot of tea I was about to enjoy."

As Lionheart ushered them in Jack took a seat next to Qrow while keeping one eye beneath his sunglasses closed. With one eye on Lionheart the other enabled him to see the various viewpoints of the insects he had placed along the way. Unsurprisingly many of the guards had left their posts, closing in on Lionheart's office. They were obviously prepping for something and Jack wasn't at all optimistic about how it would play out for them.

"It's been a while since I've seen you two. How have you been?"

"Not bad, all things considered. Ozpin had me busy running errands for him over the last year."

"Yes, Ozpin," Lionheart said, setting his cup down. "I heard about what happened. It's hard to believe he's gone."

"I know what you mean. But I'm not entirely sure he's dead," Qrow said.

"What do you mean?" Lionheart asked, curious. Ruby and her friends all glanced at Qrow and even Jack took a moment to shot him a curious glance.

"Well, despite appearances, Ozpin was more powerful and skilled than he seemed. I wouldn't be surprised if he was still out there, waiting for his assailants to make their next move."

"You may be right," Lionheart said, a hint of disappointment evident in his voice.

"While we're on the subject, have you given some thought to my offer Jack?"

"You mean to enroll at Haven?" Jack asked. "No offense but I'm not at all keen to be the only twenty-something student here at Haven. Besides, at the expense of sounding arrogant, I'm fairly certain I'm more skilled than your best students."

"In that case why not become an instructor?" Lionheart suggested.

"An instructor? Don't I need some credentials to become a teacher?"

"There are exceptions to the rule," Lionheart said, glancing over at Qrow. "In fact, I've recently gained the support of some very influential people who'd benefit greatly from your experience."

"You don't say," Jack replied.

Pretending to take a sip of his tea Jack closed his eyes in an effort to peer through eyes of his servants. Focusing on those closer to the office he found several guards we closing in on their position. They were quickly running out of time and if they were to escape they'd need to make their move now. Out of sight from Lionheart Jack nudged Qrow's foot, tapping out a message. _**We need to leave. Now!**_ Qrow took the que but rather than preparing to leave he did something equally unexpected and, in Jack's opinion, immensely stupid.

"These people, these friends you spoke of, they wouldn't happen to work for Salem, would they Lionheart?"

Lionheart's warm smile quickly melted. A hard look appeared in his eyes as he set his cup and saucer back on the table. Jack glanced at Qrow, questioning his logic in revealing their intent. They were wasting time.

"You can't stop what's happening, Qrow. Before long Mistral will fall and it will only be a matter of time before all of Remnant is in her grasp."

"So you'd betray your friends simply to save your own skin?"

"I'm saving countless people, insuring my students aren't thrust into a war they're not prepared to fight. Ozpin was too blind to see the truth standing right in front of him. Surrendering may make me a coward in your eyes but it'll make me a savior in the eyes of my people."

"All it makes you is a traitor and an enemy of Remnant," Qrow said.

Rising to his feet Qrow drew his sword, his eyes fixated on Lionheart. The others followed suit with only Jack and Demi being the exception. Off to the side Demi watched as her father sat unperturbed by the situation. She didn't know if it was out of confidence or a general lack of interest. Regardless she decided to follow his lead. He was her father, after all, and this was one of the few opportunities she'd have to learn from him.

"Qrow," Jack said, setting down his empty cup, "Don't waste your energy. We've already lost."

"What are you talking about, we haven't even started."

"That's my point. Had we left when we could we might have escaped but now- "

Before Jack could finish the door to the office burst open and a dozen Mistral guards poured in. Demi's eyes darted between the newly armored occupants and her father, wondering how he'd known. Qrow looked just as surprised but reluctantly dropped his weapon before raising his hands in defeat. Only the kids remained vigilant, Nora and Yang especially. They were certain that between the two of them they might manage to escape their captors.

"I'm sorry Qrow, I truly am," Lionheart said.

"Not as sorry as you'll be once Salem's régime takes hold." Qrow shot back. "Kids, drop your weapons."

"But Uncle Qrow," Yang started to protest.

"Do as I say," he ordered.

With an angry scowl Yang lowered her arms before two of the guards removed her gauntlets and had her in handcuffs. They did the same with everyone else before escorting them out of the room. With Jack bringing up the rear he managed to shift his sunglasses enough to allow Lionheart to see his eyes clearly. His cold death glare was enough to drain the man of any color he had in his face before slowly lowering himself back into his chair.

"Consider that my rejection for your instructor offer, Lionheart," Jack said coldly before being lead from the room.

* * *

 **Mistral County Jail – Jack**

Incarceration. Wouldn't be the first time Jack had found himself in such a position and on false charges as well. Unfortunately, unlike the previous incidents he didn't see himself getting out on a technicality. They were stuck, prisoners of a corrupt system and unless they thought of a way to free themselves they'd rot in there until the council saw fit to extradite them.

Without their weapons most of them were at a loss of what to do. Ren sat on the bench provided them with Nora leaning against his shoulder. Jaune and Ruby, both of whom looked defeated, leaned their heads on their hands. Yang paced the length of the cell, angrily spouting out insults and complaints. Qrow sat against the wall, mourning the confiscation of his prized flask and liquor. Only Jake appeared relaxed as he sat against the wall, his eyes closed in the act of napping. Demi sat next to him, stealing glances at her father in and attempt to try and read his thoughts.

He'd obviously known that their captors were on their way before she did. With this in mind it was safe to assume he either had an incredibly well developed sixth sense or he had a means of spying on others without them knowing. She knew he had been born with a unique semblance, not unlike her own, and that he'd used it to outmaneuver many of the opponents he'd faced over the years. She'd even heard rumors that his semblance was powerful enough to defeat his enemies without him having to raise a finger. She knew this was simply speculation but recent events had her wondering how much of it was rumor and how much was truth.

In reality Jack was uncertain of what to do. Though he knew his semblance might allow him to incapacitate a few of the guards it wouldn't be enough to help them escape. Furthermore his jacket, along with all of his poisons, had been taken from him as a result. He was at a disadvantage. At best he could call in some favors but none that could help them- wait!

Jack sat upright abruptly. Demi jumped, startled from his sudden movements. Without a word Jack walked over to the cell bars, looking for something.

"Hey, guard!" he barked.

"What?" came the bored voice of the young man.

"I believe I'm allowed one phone call. I'd like to cash it in."

"No phone calls," the man responded.

"I have a right to a phone call."

"I said no calls."

"I want my damn phone call!" Jack said, raising his voice.

"Kiss my ass," the guard shot back.

"Funny, I was told something similar by your mama last night."

The cell went dead quiet as all eyes fell on Jack. Qrow looked to him with interest, expecting to see a show in the next few minutes. Demi looked upon her father in disbelief, wondering how he could sink to such a level of depravity. Yang looked at him with her mouth agape, half surprised by his comment and half impressed. Everyone else simply stared at him, still trying to register what he'd just said.

"What did you just say," they heard the guard reply, his voice distinctly closer than it had been before.

"You heard me, Jr. I showed her a good time last night."

"Ha, funny, I just finished showing your mama a good time not too long ago," the guard replied, expecting to claim victory.

"Yea and I heard her say it was the worst three seconds of her life."

Qrow tumbled over in laughter while Yang covered her mouth to hide her broad smile as she suppressed a fit of giggles. Demi's eyes widened in surprise. She certainly hadn't expected her father to be this far from how she'd imagined him. Everyone else exchanged glances, expecting a storm to hit from Jack's unbridled comment.

"You piece of shit. I should come in there and beat your ass," the guard threatened, stepping towards the cell bars.

This was a mistake. Quicker than he could react, Jack's arm shot out through the bars and took a firm hold of his collar. With a sharp yank he slammed him headfirst against the bars. Had it not been for the helmet he was wearing the guard would have been lying on the ground, bleeding out from his wound. Instead the attack rattled him, throwing him off balance long enough for jack to take hold of his gun and press it under his chin while maintaining a firm grip on his collar. Pulling him up against the bars he charged the weapon, the whining of the gun causing everyone's blood to run cold. Whatever confidence the guard had left him instantly, staining his pants upon their departure.

"I said I want my phone call," Jack seethed. "I'm sure you'd agree that's not too much to ask, isn't it?"

"No sir," the young man replied, suddenly very compliant.

"So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to let go and you'll unlock this cell door. I'll hand you back your weapon and you'll escort me to the nearest pay phone. You get all that?"

"Yes sir," he said, trying his best to nod with his face pressed against the bars.

"Damn, Jack, I'd forgotten how scary you can be when you're serious," Qrow commented.

* * *

 **Atlas Embassy – Specialist Winter's Quarters – Winter**

Winter sipped thoughtfully at her coffee. Though her sister's unannounced arrival had posed some problems she nonetheless found it to be quite pleasant having her around. She could just imagine the state her father was in, stomping through the mansion, screaming his daughter's name while being unaware of her absence. She smiled, wishing somewhat that she could be there to see the fiasco, but quickly relaxed back into her usual demeanor.

Her sister's presence posed another problem. With Ironwood's recent closing of the Atlas borders she had a duty to report her sister's absence. While she loathed having to send her sister back home, and in such a shameful state, she still had to honor her loyalties to the military. Still, just because she had to report her sister's absence didn't mean she had to do it right away. She'd spend an appropriate amount of time with Weiss before sending her home.

As if in protest to her decision her scroll began to ring. Its blaring tone brought with it a feeling of dread in the young woman. Few people knew her personal number which narrowed down the list of suspects considerably. It could be her father. With how long it took for airships to fly between Atlas and Mistral it wasn't at all absurd to assume he'd discovered Weiss' absence sooner than expected. It could also be Ironwood. With their intelligence network it wouldn't be difficult for him to have tracked Weiss all the way here. Doubtless he was calling to inquire as to why Winter had failed to inform him the moment Weiss contacted her. Hesitantly she picked up her scroll and raised it to her ear.

"Specialist Winter Schnee reporting," she said, acting under the assumption it was Ironwood.

"Well if that isn't the warmest reception I've received from you to date. I half expect a hug when we see each other next," the voice on the other end said.

"Jack Brisbane," Winter seethed, her grip of the phone tightening considerably.

"I see you're all out of hospitality at the moment so I'll get straight to the point. I'm currently an occupant at the local county jail and I need you to come spring us out."

"Us?" Winter inquired.

"Yea, I'm here with some friends."

"What makes you think I'd want to waste my time helping you and your barbaric posse?"

"Does the name Qrow Branwen ring a bell?"

"Qrow's in there too? That's not much of a surprise," she scoffed.

"There's also a number of minors including his two nieces, Yang Xio Long and Ruby Rose."

"Ruby Rose?" Winter said aloud, the name sounding oddly familiar.

"What about Ruby?" she heard her sister say.

Winter spun around to see her sister standing in the doorway, a perplexed looked on her face. She hadn't heard her sister come in and as soon as she noticed her presence she remembered where she'd heard the girl's name. While visiting her sister at Beacon she'd meet a young woman about Weiss' age. She'd turned out to be Qrow's youngest niece and his former protégé. Not long after departing Beacon, however, news had reached her of the fiasco with the Atlesian knights and of a girl with silver eyes causing a massive Grimm to be frozen in place against the CCT tower.

"Winter?" Jack's voice called out from the scroll.

"Forget it, there isn't anything I can do. My presence here in Mistral has me walking on thin ice as is. For me to go springing complete strangers from jail would be straining what little power I have."

"What if I threw in the added benefit of whipping the debt clean?"

"Don't toy with me Jack," Winter said.

"I'm being completely serious, Schnee. I'm in a rather precarious position and the normal methods won't help. We need to get out of here as soon as possible and if that means using up the last few favors Ironwood owes me then so be it."

Winter was stunned, if not a little surprised. She hadn't expected such an opportunity to present itself. Considering everything that had happened, adding this to the list of things she'd be able to report to her superior would greatly lessen the blow to her reputation and Ironwood's list of reasons to question her loyalty. Weighing her options she decided it would be best to take what she could get.

"I'll need to pull some strings,"

"Do what you can, we're in no rush," Jack's pleased voice said from the other line before he hung up.

"You said Ruby's name. Why? What's happened?" Weiss began questioning her sister the moment she closed her scroll.

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I disagree. If it has anything to do with my teammate, my partner, I need to know."

"It's none of your concern. Now, please, I need to make a few calls."

"Winter, please, she's my friend. I spent almost a year separated from my team, unable to contact any of them. Please, let me help her."

Winter sighed, annoyed that she felt pleased to see her sister taking such a strong stance in supporting her teammates. The situation at hand, however, was not something she wanted Weiss to get involved in. She'd tell her enough to alleviate her worry and then find out what had happened.

"She's been incarcerated at the local county jail. No doubt she was named as an accomplice in one of her Uncle's absurd missions he's been doing for Ozpin."

"Incarcerated? On what charges?"

"That's what I'm going to find out."

* * *

 **Mistral County Jail – Jack**

It was just as terrifying as it was impressive to see how Jack had managed to have the charges brought against them dropped. Upon being allowed his phone call Jack had been escorted by three well-armed guards, none whom seemed to be willing to take any chances. All of them kept their weapons trained on him, even as he was being discharged. Though his companions berated him endlessly to find out just who he had called Jack remained silent. He obviously didn't want to spoil the surprise.

"One pair of eclipse sunglasses," the guard said as he slipped Jack his belongings. Jack immediately slipped them on, grateful to be able to see once more.

"Two curved daggers, extra sharp. One extra-large overcoat with half a dozen vials of unidentifiable contents," the man said.

Jack took the jacket and slipped it on. With all of his weapons back in his hands he felt more at ease. The guards obviously didn't share his feelings as they eyed him with suspicion. No doubt they assumed the contents of his jacket pockets were ingredients for explosives, none of which he'd be shy about using in the enclosed environment. If they actually knew what they were Jack was sure they'd be hustling down to the medical wing, afraid he might have slipped them something especially deadly. He had to admit, considering their treatment of him and his companions over the last couple of hours, he was tempted to leave them something to remember him by.

"One photograph and one bounty hunter identification card, alias 'The Dead Poet,' alias 'The Pale Rider,' alias 'The Slender Man."

"Slender Man?" one of the guards said, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Don't think about it too much," Jack said, pocketing the identification and picture before following his companions into another room.

Once everyone had regained their belongings they were ushered into an empty room and told to wait. Qrow glanced over at Jack, a questioning look in his eyes. Jack ignored him as best he could. It wasn't so much that he found the look irritating as he was too excited not to reveal their benefactor's identity. Before long a door on the other side of the room opened and two women with long white hair stepped through. Jack flashed a smile at the eldest who returned the favor with a scowl of her own.

"Weiss?" Ruby said in disbelief.

"Ruby," Weiss called out as Ruby rushed over to embrace her friend.

"Well, well, well, no wonder Jack wouldn't tell us who sprang us from the joint. It's the Ice Queen herself," Qrow said mockingly, having just refueled his courage from the flask in his pocket.

"Do I have your word that Ironwood's debt to you has been paid in full?" Winter asked, ignoring the drunken huntsman.

"Do you want that in writing?" Jack asked jokingly.

Before he had a chance to laugh Winter removed a small stack of papers she'd been hiding behind her back. Baring the crest of Atlas and Ironwood she held it up to eye level. Jack's smirk quickly faded from his lips as he gazed at the papers.

"Of course you do," he mumbled.

"You should have told me you had Ironwood by his balls, Jack," Qrow said while his friend began signing and initialing on the appropriate lines.

"I always believed it was best to keep information like that in reserve. You never know when you might need someone of a politician's level to owe you a favor or two."

"You mind telling me what you did to cause the Mistral police force to incarcerate all of you."

"Honestly, I'd like to know that myself," Jack said as he finished signing the last page.

"I don't want your excuses Jack."

"He's being serious, Winter. As best we can discern some of the people we thought were our friends have now become the enemy."

"What do you mean?"

"Lionheart has gone over to the other side. We don't know when but at some point Salem got to him and now he's on her payroll."

"Salem?" Winter said in surprise.

"Who's Salem?" Weiss whispered to Ruby.

"I'll fill you in later."

"Fact of the matter is, he had us arrested under false pretenses and I need to find out why. So, I need to ask you a favor."

"Out of the question. I've fulfilled my obligations," Winter said, snatching the signed papers from Jack's hands.

"Winter, think about it. If they wormed their way into Haven Academy, it's not much of a stretch to assume they've found a way into Atlas as well."

"Which is why I need to inform Ironwood of this immediately."

"While you're doing that you can arrange some transportation for my niece and her friends back to Vale."

"What? No!" Ruby said in protest.

Before long whole room was engulfed in a squabble. Qrow arguing with Winter while arguing with Ruby and vice versa. Each was attempting to make their needs a priority. Jack simply sat back, considering everything that was going on. With what he could discern Qrow would be absent and Winter was unwilling to help. He needed someone to see his niece safely home. Jack had to suppress the smile that was attempting to form on his face. It was almost too easy.

"I'll do it," Jack spoke loudly.

The trio began to simmer down before looking over at Jack. Concern and confusion was evident in the eyes of Qrow and Winter. Ruby, on the other hand, held hope in hers. Perhaps she had an ally she could rally to her cause? No such luck there, unfortunately.

"Come again?' Qrow said.

"I'll escort your niece back home to Vale," he repeated.

"Jack, I can't ask you- "

"Think about it Qrow. Winter is obviously too weighed down by the obligations of the military. You need to find out just have far and deep Salem's sphere of influence runs. I'm not tied down to those matters and, as you can plainly see, my welcome here in Mistral has run its course. Not to mention my knowledge of Anima is much greater than yours. I'd be the perfect guide to insure these kids make it back home safely."

"We're not kids," Nora interjected in protest.

"And you're not that much older than us," Jaune added.

"But my experience and skills greatly eclipses all of yours combined," Jack shot back in retort. "Fact of the matter is I'm the best option you've got."

Qrow and Winter exchanged glances. While neither had expected Jack to step up to the plate the fact that he was doing so was a rather unusually charitable act. The very act made his behavior seem extremely odd.

"I never expected you to do this out of the kindness of your heart," Qrow said, half-jokingly.

"I'm not. I expect to be paid."

"Come again," Qrow said, the humor disappearing from his voice.

"After my near death experience with Yang," he said.

"Hey!" Yang cried out in protest.

"I'm acting under the assumption that all the members of her entourage will be just as dangerous. With that in mind I'm offering you to hire me as they're body guard."

"You really expect me to pay you for your services?" Qrow asked.

"You have any better ideas? As far as I can see, the moment we step outside this room we'll be back on the defensive. It won't be long before Salem and her cohorts are notified of our escape and they'll send more people to finish the job. Seeing as how you want to start going after them it seems only natural that you have someone you can trust take these kids home, safe and sound."

"It's not that I disagree with your logic but your rates are rather steep," Qrow said.

"Then you can owe me," Jack said with a smirk.

Qrow's stomach churned in discomfort. It was one thing for someone like Ironwood to owe Jack a favor but it was another matter completely when you were the one owing the favor. Jack Brisbane was notorious in the underworld for his debt collection. More than a handful of very powerful and very influential people owed him a favor or two for various jobs he'd performed on their behalf. What's more he was well known for being far from merciful to those who attempted to skip out of repaying their debts when it came time to collect. While Jack never harmed an innocent he was never too far above from leaving his mark on those indebted to him. Seldom did they ever make the same mistake twice. Qrow, obviously, didn't want to become one of those people.

"How much?" he heard a young woman say.

Every eye turned to look at Weiss Schnee who had pulled out her purse from… somewhere. With a serious look on her face her hands hovered over the clasp, poised to answer whatever demands he made of the young ex-heiress. Jack regarded Weiss not with surprise but suspicion. He knew little of the young woman, which was laughable on his part. He preferred to be in the know.

"Weiss?" her elder sister said in surprise.

"20,000 lien, plus expenses," Jack said, testing the waters.

"We'll be taking an airship?"

"No, we'll be on foot. Easier to evade our pursuers and keep from being identified."

"Weiss, I forbid you from doing this," Winter ordered.

"I'm sorry Winter, but I have to. Ruby and Yang are my teammates. I wasn't able to be there for them after Beacon fell but not I have a chance to redeem myself."

"Weiss, you can't!"

"I'll give you 10,000 up front and the rest when, and only when, we all make it to Vale," Weiss said, her tone neutral as she fixed a steely gaze on Jack.

Jack started to chuckle to himself, obviously amused by the girl's tenacity," you're a smart business woman, Miss Schnee. I should expect nothing less of Jacques' daughter," he said. "Did you want that in writing as well?" he asked, teasingly.

"No, I'll take you at your word. If you try and alter our agreement or betray us in anyway I'll be sure to remind you of your place."

"Oh, I like her. We're going to get along just fine," he said jokingly as Winter seethed with anger.

* * *

 **Mistral Front Gates – Weiss Schnee**

Weiss stood outside the gates of Mistral with the rest of her team. Her packing had taken longer than she'd expected due to the ensuing argument that erupted between her and Winter the instant they were alone. Despite her sister's protests Weiss had insisted on going with her friends back home. Staying in Mistral would assuredly cause problems for Winter in the long run and staying on the move would help her to evade anyone her father eventually sent to retrieve her. Now all that was left was left was to start on their journey. Despite her calm demeanor Weiss couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect.

"Well kid, I guess this is goodbye for now," she heard Qrow say as he gave Ruby a hug. "I'll be sure to have someone send your bike home for you, Yang."

"Thanks Uncle Qrow." Earlier Jack had made it clear that Yang's motorcycle would not be accompanying them on their journey. While Yang had protested Jack shot her down, citing that her bike was just too distinct not to attract unwanted attention. Weiss knew that he simply didn't want her death machine anywhere near him and their resent arrest was enough to add weight to his argument.

"Weiss," she heard her sister say. She turned to Winter, a stern look plastered on her face. Expecting some sort of retort for her actions she was surprised when her sister presented her with a sky blue cloak. "It gets cold at night. This should help keep you warm. It'll also help to conceal your identity out on the road."

"Thank you Winter," she said, slipping it on before strapping on her pack.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Jack said, ready to start their journey.

"Jack, a moment please," Winter said.

With some reluctance Jack walked over to Winter. Pretending not to hear Weiss listened in on their conversation, curious about what she had to say to their strange benefactor.

"Let me be clear on one thing Jack. You'll keep your hands off my sister. If anything happens to her while in your care I'll personally take it out of your hide," she hissed.

"No need to make such idle threats. I've no interest in your baby sister. As far as I'm concerned her offer to pay for my services has earned her top marks in my books and you know better than anyone that I always honor my debts. She'll reach Vale unharmed. You have my word."

Content with this Winter bid them farewell as she watched them disappear through the city gates. While she knew Jack would honor his word she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. His sudden appearance in Mistral coupled with his involvement with Qrow had led her to wonder if he had some ulterior motive. While she was willing to assume the best for her sister's sake she couldn't shake the feeling that Salem's eyes were set firmly on Jack Brisbane.

* * *

 **I promised myself I'd take a break after finishing this chapter but, knowing my personality, I give myself a couple days before I'm back at it. Well, as long as it keeps the story moving along I'll be fine.**

 **So, finally on to the long awaited journey. Have to admit I had to change up the conversation between Jack, Qrow, and Winter a bit to make his offer seem more convincing. The moment I had him offer to escort Ruby and friends home I realized "that sounds a little suspicious. I need a better explanation than just charity work." Thankfully Weiss presented the best shift in the story to make it possible to also include a seamless way to insert her into the group.**

 **With how this chapter mostly focused on the adults interactions (namely Jack, Qrow, and Winter) I'm going to try and add more screen time for everyone else with the chapters that follow. I want everyone to have some sort of interaction, no matter how small, rather than being relegated to a background character. No point in having them in the story if all they're going to do is stand awkwardly to the side, waving and saying "I'm still alive." That's mostly why I removed Qrow and Oscar. They were fated to become background characters if I kept them in.**

 **Now then, from this point on I'm going to be showcasing different aspects to Jack's personality. We'll have some touching moments, some bitter sweet, and some down right WTF moments hit all along the journey. I've also planned for some interesting interactions between him and Weiss that are sure to be humorous as well as set up their relationship.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed everything so far. Let me know what you think in the reviews and as always I'll see you next time RWBY fans.**


	7. Chapter 6: A Long Awaited Journey

**A Long Awaited Journey**

 **85 P.G.W. – Anima – Demi**

Demi found herself in a most precarious position. Within less than 48 hours not only had she been arrested twice, she'd discovered she had traveled through time, met several younger versions of friends and family from her own life and even managed to find herself in the company of her deceased parents, both of whom were very much alive. Most people in her position would have been thrilled, not only to have experienced everything she had but to have questions about her past answered by the very people who had experienced it first-hand.

Unfortunately, Demi was anything but excited. In fact, she was more nervous than anything else. Simply being present in a time prior to her birth could have dire consequences for her future. Still, she couldn't help feeling a bit excited at the prospect of seeing her parents again. Her father had been an unexpected surprise to her in more ways than one. Callus one minute and then distant the next, his constantly shifting personality kept her guessing about his true motives and intentions.

Her mother, on the other hand, was another story. While she admired the loyalty she'd shown towards her teammates she couldn't help but notice her dignified attitude. All of her belongings were brand new with hardly even a string out of place. The way she carried herself came off as being above the common rabble and her attitude towards Jack was less than kind. While she'd kept a business like attitude when accepting his offer to escort them to Vale she hardly even acknowledged the man's presence while on the road. Even when her eyes did stray over to their guide they held nothing but suspicion and mistrust.

It must have been nothing short of a miracle for two people as different as them to have somehow fallen in love and have a child.

"Mr. Brisbane, sir, where are we going?" Jaune asked.

"The name's Jack. Mr. Brisbane was my father and I have no desire to be lumped together with him. As for where we're headed you already know. We're going to Vale."

"I know that. What I mean is where are we headed? What stops did you have planned for us?"

"I take it you realized we aren't taking the conventional route," Jack remarked.

"Yes, actually. I thought we might be headed to Kuroyuri but nothing looks familiar."

"You'd be right. If we were heading towards Kuroyuri we'd be taking the main road."

"Then what road are we taking?"

"Let me ask you this first. What can you tell me about the gate we passed through?"

Everyone was silent for a moment as they tried to recall the details from their departure. No one had really taken the time to consider the importance associated with their hasty withdrawal from Mistral. At best they knew the exit they'd taken wasn't at all like the others. It was smaller, manned by fewer guards and was in dire need of repairs. It was obvious the gateway had seen little use over the years.

"It was a back entrance," Demi said.

"That's only part of it. What else?"

"It could certainly use some much needed upkeep. I half expected the doors to fall off the moment they let us through," Weiss added.

"Good. So what does this all tell us?" Jack inquired.

"We're taking a back road, one seldom used by people," Ruby concluded.

"Exactly. Few people travel this road which means it'll be easier to identify anyone who may be pursuing us for their own gain. In this case, anyone who isn't us."

"It also means this road is a lot more dangerous. Apart from a higher number of Grimm there's also bandits that frequent these routes. You get ambushed here and, even if you survive, you'd have little chance of finding help," Demi pointed out.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," Jack said.

"How long will we be traveling?" Ruby asked.

"Depends. We'll need to change up our route with each village we come across or confrontation we run into. That and, if I should happen upon a convenient bounty, we'll need to keep our movements as sporadic as possible."

"So, in other words, you're not sure where we're going and if you should happen upon the chance to make a quick Lien that'll also add time to our trip," Weiss summarized.

"More or less," Jack replied.

"I'm starting to regret my decision to hire you."

"Too late to ask for a refund, Princess," Jack shot back.

Weiss scowled in response. Watching the two of them bicker Demi could see it was going to be a long, long journey.

* * *

 **Dragon Continent – Salem's Castle – Salem**

"They escaped," Salem said, gazing down at Watts.

"Apologies, my lady. I had not anticipated the intervention from Atlas on their behalf. Had I known I would have taken precautions."

"It doesn't matter. You completed your assignment and what's more Jack is heading here with the girl."

"My lady?"

"The revelation of our betrayal did not come as a surprise to the young bounty hunter. He anticipated our motives but now he's coming here to pay us back. No doubt he thinks he might be able to use the girl's latent powers to weaken me and exact his own brand of justice."

"I'll have my operatives begin trailing him immediately. By the time they reach the nearest village we'll have them in custody."

"No, Watts, you'll leave them be. I want Jack to continue his advance."

"Forgive me mistress but I don't see the point in allowing him to seek you out. Surely it would be wiser to simply snatch them up while their vulnerable. As skilled as he may be I highly doubt Jack will be able to protect all of them from my hired muscle."

"I think he may surprise you, Watts. Jack's semblance is very unique. If he were to use it to its fullest potential you'd quickly find yourself outnumbered as one of your men that falls becomes a new ally for him."

"Doubtless he is too great a risk for us to allow him to live."

"On the contrary, he's too special to be wasted so easily. You will return to Atlas and continue your duties there. I'll have my own spies keep an eye on him. If an opportunity arises that requires an intervention on your part, I'll let you know."

"Of course, my lady," Watts said with obvious disappointment.

"One last thing before you go. What is the state of the little side project I asked of you?"

"I am nearly finished with the designs. It won't be long before your little scorpion is back in fighting condition."

"Excellent. I hope this gift will grant Tyrian the opportunity to prove his loyalty to me once more. I'll tolerate no further failures from him."

"As you wish, Lady Salem."

* * *

 **Anima – Jack**

Being a bounty hunter wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Being a typically solitary job it few perks that outweighed the many downsides to being a hunter of people. Still, it paid the bills but that didn't mean Jack had to tolerate all the stupid complaints that came pouring from his employers. Barely a few hours into the trip and he had already found himself assaulted with questions regarding their destination, his personal life, and his overall experiences. Being an introverted individual Jack found their constant questioning greatly annoying. It would take a miracle to prevent him from sewing their mouths shut just to gain a little peace and quiet before the journey was over.

There was also the matter of reaching Salem and paying her back for her betrayal at Mistral. While it had come as no surprise to him Jack wasn't very fond of letting people who'd wronged him get away scot free. What's more there was the matter of Salem's desire to possess young Ruby Rose. While he had no intention of honoring his deal with Salem he did see how the girl could prove useful. If he played his cards right he might be able to use her to land a critical blow against the demonic hag. He had his doubts about causing Salem herself any crucial harm but her lackeys were another story entirely.

As the day slowly gave way to night members of the group began voicing their desire for rest. In spite his overall annoyance with them thus far he had to agree it was a wise decision to consider setting up camp. As luck would have it a small cottage was coming into view. Overall it looked large enough to house them as well as offer considerable protection against any Grimm who might be foolish enough to try and assault them during the night.

"We'll camp there for the night," he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

A resounding cheer of relief echoed from the group. Upon closer inspection Jack was able to surmise that the building had once been an old hunting lodge. Typically used by villagers as a way point between home and the hunting grounds, they'd camp here and build up the food stock before traveling back home. From its state of disrepair it was obvious no one had used it in years. While Weiss started to complain of the smell and amount of dust covering the floor one comment from Jack about sleeping outside with the dirt and bugs shut her up immediately. Before long they had a large fire built into the fireplace with everyone huddled around it as they ate their makeshift meals. Only Jack remained detached from the group, settling into a chair next to the window as he stared out into the thick darkness of the night.

"Why don't you come join us Jack?" Ruby asked in an optimistic voice.

"I'm keeping a look out."

"For what?"

"Grimm," he said.

"We don't need to worry about that. We spent weeks on the road to Mistral and hardly saw any Grimm," Nora said cheerfully.

"Wasn't Qrow tailing you along the way as well?" Jack pointed out.

The cheerful smiles quickly faded from everyone's face. Jack rolled his eyes in response. Typical. Give a group of adolescent huntsman a handicap and they think they're invincible. They had a great deal more to learn if they ever expected to make it in Remnant.

"Hey, I've got an idea, why don't we tell some ghost stories," Nora said with a creepy smile.

"Won't that defeat the purpose of us trying not to attract the Grimm?" Weiss pointed out.

"Oh, don't such a spoilsport. Come on, it'll be fun," Nora insisted.

"You have any good stories, Jack?" Yang asked.

"None worth telling," he said.

"I do have a question. What turned you on to the profession of bounty hunting?" Weiss inquired.

"Necessity, for the most part," Jack said.

"Necessity for what?"

"Survival," he answered flatly.

"Why not enroll in one of the academies and become a huntsman?" Ruby asked.

"You don't know much about the world outside of Vale, do you Miss Rose?" Jack asked, slightly amused by her naivety.

"I get good grades in my world history class," she mumbled defensively.

"A class with a regulated curriculum will only tell you what people want you to know. Considering Vale was one of the Kingdoms that prospered after the Great War it's easy to see that they have the power to chose what would end up in your history books. History is written by the victors, after all."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Weiss pointed out.

Jack gave her a lazy look which she answered with a sharp glare. Reluctantly he shifted in his seat, making himself comfortable before beginning his long explanation.

"When you think of bounty hunters I'm guessing the image that naturally pops into your head is either that of a roguish hero, fighting off hordes of bad guys to save a small village from their tyranny or a dirty drifter who comes in guns blazing with little regard to any bystanders."

"Yea, pretty much," they mumbled, nodding their heads in agreement.

"Typical," he mumbled in annoyance.

"I guess what they show in the movies is a little off the mark," Jaune joked.

"Oh no, Mr. Arc, what they show in the movies is as far off the mark as you can get," he answered with a sneer. "Bounty hunting is, perhaps, one of the most dangerous jobs in all of Remnant. To be a bounty hunter means going after the most elusive and cold-blooded killers this world has ever seen, creatures that are far worse than the Grimm."

"That's a bit harsh, considering you simply take on people," Ren pointed out.

"You've obviously never killed a man, then," Jack said in retort.

"The first thing to know in regards to bounty hunting is that there are three types of people who take up the profession. The first the are glamor seekers. People who've watched too many movies and are blinded by the image crafted on screen take up the profession believing that they'll become world class celebrities overnight. That's never the case, obviously. Like any profession, bounty hunting requires you work your way from the bottom before you can truly be considered a force to be reckoned with."

"How long does it take before they quit?" Jaune asked.

"If they're smart they never take it up to begin with," Jack said, fixing Jaune with an icy stare. "The stupid ones, on the other hand, typically go after a bounty that is far above their skill level. In the end they only ever serve the purpose of increasing the target's worth and notoriety. A glamor seeker never lasts long in this field."

"The second kind are war dogs. They consist of huntsman who have turned their backs on the oath they took or former soldiers looking to fuel their need to dance with death. More often than not these are people who are as dangerous as those they hunt. They have no interest in money or building their reputation. They have an itch that needs to be scratched, an addiction to living on the edge, of holding a man's life in their hands. The really sad part is that most of these people become so engrossed in the hunt that they end up becoming the hunted themselves."

"The last and least common are career bounty hunters. We're the ones who became a bounty hunter simply to survive. To us it's simply a job, something that keeps food on the table. It's not something we take great pride in but it's something we've managed to do well. You get good enough and you can become a household name in some circles, often being hired out by private sectors or military organizations."

"That explains all the alias' I heard them using when we were at the prison. I heard them call you 'The Slender Man'. What's up with that? Why do you use such a creepy name?" Yang inquired.

"I don't call myself that. You get good enough in this profession and the bounties start giving you those names. Think of it as a rite of passage or a badge of honor. To be given a title by your enemies' means you've graduated to the adults table."

"I can certainly see why they'd give you a name like that," Weiss said, motioning to his slim physique.

"You're one to talk, Ice Queen," Jack shot back.

Weiss' face turned a deep red as she seethed with anger. Jack's mocking smile didn't help much to quell her aggression. Seeing this immediately Demi decided to quickly change the subject. She'd prefer that her parents revert back to silently loathing one another rather than senselessly bickering.

"I don't know much about bounty hunters but listening to you I get the impression there's more to your profession than what we see on the surface."

"Remember what I said about your history books?" Jack asked. Demi nodded in response, expecting him to elaborate.

"You live long enough and you start to learn a little about our history. Unlike the Huntsman whose exploits are written down for all to enjoy and emulate the bounty hunter's history is mainly an oral one. What knowledge we have is passed down from one veteran to the next. Unfortunately this means that most of the facts have been distorted by time but that doesn't make it any less important."

"Long before your academies were built, before the four Kingdoms became a democracy, before the title of Huntsman became mainstream, Bounty Hunters were Humanities saviors."

"I'd always been told Huntsman have been around as long as the Grimm," Jaune interrupted.

"Don't interrupt me junior and you're not entirely wrong. In the old days the profession of a Bounty Hunter was regarded as being on the same level as a Huntsman. To be a Bounty Hunter meant being a traveling warrior, one who wasn't tied down by borders or loyalties to governments. It meant being a servant of the people, someone who had the skills to do what no one else could."

"You needed to hire a body guard; contact a Bounty Hunter. Someone's gone missing and you can't go search for them; ask for a Bounty Hunter. A Grimm is causing trouble and you need someone to bring it down; post a bounty and sure enough it'll get done."

"For centuries we were the go to people in terms of Grimm exterminations and mercenary contracts. After a while there were so many bounty hunters roaming the countryside that people started stepping on each other's toes. In response to this a guild was formed to help regulate bounties, register new comers to the profession, and keep track of jobs that had been accomplished. In time nearly every major town had a Bounty Hunter's guild, a place where you could rest, acquire useful information, and even look up local job postings submitted to the guild."

"However, with the events of the Great War, everything changed for Remnant. With the disbandment of the formal Kingdoms and the rise of the Hunter Academies the positions of competent and experienced instructors needed to be filled and fast. Naturally they looked to the guild to help them accomplish this task."

"Becoming a Bounty Hunter often means that you're never in the same place for too long. Wherever you hang your hat becomes your home. Anyone who decided to start a family and settle down either had to stick to local job postings or give up the profession altogether. With the establishment of the academies, however, settling in one place became much easier to do. Before long the academies began churning out experience and skilled huntsman ready to face the ever present threat of the Grimm."

"It was good for a time but what you often fail to consider is that what may be good for one person can also be detrimental for another. With Huntsman becoming Humanities newest savior's people started relying on Bounty Hunters less and less. Soon jobs once undertaken by Bounty Hunters were turned over to the Huntsman. Funding for the guilds started to dry up and even our reputation began to fade. In time the once noble profession of Bounty Hunting became synonymous with assassins, cutthroats, and thieves. What started out as a pack of lies soon became fact as our exploits faded from the world."

"There's something I still don't understand. You said you hunt the worst killers Remnant has ever seen but we learned that the Grimm are the greatest threat humanity has to face," Ren interjected.

"Did your academies have a class devoted to the study of the Grimm?" he asked.

"Of course," Weiss answered.

"Do you know why?" Jack posed the question.

"So we know how to defeat them. It's meant to teach us their strengths, weaknesses, and habits," Jaune said.

"An excellent textbook answer but not what I'm getting at."

"Then what were you getting at?" Weiss asked in an annoyed tone.

"The reason that class exists is because the Grimm are predictable and are therefore easy to defeat."

"And we aren't," Weiss asked in retort.

"The Grimm are first and foremost animals. Like any animal their actions are dictated by instinct. What makes them different from the rest of the animal kingdom is that they have become consumed by the Darkness, but their natural instincts still remain, guiding their actions. Keeping this in mind it's not hard to see how scholars have managed to write guides on how to defeat them. When your opponent's actions are dictated purely by generations of hardwired needs and desires it becomes easy to predict what they'll do next."

"We as humans are different. We don't rely on instinct so much as our ability to reason. It's what has allowed us to rise above the animal kingdom. We're able to act based on reasoning that is greater than ourselves. That's also why we're the world's most lethal prey. While we are creatures of habit those habits do not dictate ever moment of our life."

"To say that the Grimm are humanity's greatest threat is simply our way of shifting the blame to something more convenient. I can't count how many times I've captured a rather elusive bounty only to find out that many of the crimes they perpetrated were blamed on the Grimm due to a lack of evidence. For all the harm they cause they've also become a useful scapegoat for us to use when the truth is too hard to handle."

With the room having gone quiet again Jack's eyes shifted to the forest outside his window. Hiding among the darkness, Jack could see several pairs of crimson red eyes gazing out at him. With how many there were and how high they hung off the ground Jack could tell it was a pack of Beowulves. Why they hadn't attacked or even attempted to come near the cottage was perplexing to him. It was certainly different from their usual behavior.

A chilling thought then crossed his mind. What if they were Salem's? Given her unusual appearance Jack had entertained the theory that perhaps she was a sort of Grimm, a combination of Humanity and Darkness. It didn't hold any weight but looking out into the forest he began to wonder if he had been right. These Grimm could simply be acting under her orders, watching him from afar while reporting all of his movements. It would take little effort on his part to dispatch them but there were always more waiting in reserve.

"I'm turning in for the night," Jack said, tearing his eyes from the window.

"I'm guessing you'll want the bed?" Weiss asked.

"Nope," he replied curtly and headed into the bathroom.

"You're sleeping in there?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"Of course."

"What if we have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night?" Weiss asked in an irritated tone.

Without saying a word Jack walked over to his pack and began sifting through its contents. Before long he pulled out a roll of toilet paper, a collapsible shovel, and a large flashlight. He set them all on a small table before turning back for the bathroom.

"What are those for?" Weiss asked.

"Find a bush, dig a hole, do your business, and make sure to bury it when you're done."

Flashing Weiss a curt smile as her mouth dropped in exasperation he disappeared into the bathroom before quickly shutting the door behind him.

"He can't be serious," she protested, turning to the other girls for support.

"Never been camping before, have you Weiss?" Yang said with a smile.

* * *

 **Anima – Abandoned Hut – Weiss**

The day dawned bright and early as the sun pieced through cracks in the dust covered window. Small mots of dust floated over the heads of the cabin's occupants as they slept soundly. Occasionally Nora could be heard spouting some incoherent mumbling regarding pancakes with Ren wincing in unison with her garbled statements. Ruby and Yang lay near one another, the older sibling having dragged her sleeping bag closer to Ruby in an attempt to keep an eye on her while deterring any thoughts the boys might have had of getting "closer" to her little sister in the middle of the knight. Demi lay on her side with her right arm tucked under her pillow. While most would assume this was done in an effort to support her head in reality her hand clutched tightly to her sword, ready to spring into action the moment something attacked.

Weiss was the first to awake. An early riser by nature she took a moment to asses her surroundings. It took her a moment to recall exactly where she was and by then the natural urges of her body began to take priority. Her eyes darted to the bathroom door, seeing that it was still closed, an obvious sign that Jack was still asleep. She glanced to the table where the shovel, flashlight, and toilet paper were still sitting where Jack had left them. She grimaced at the prospect of relieving herself outside.

Snatching up the toilet paper she walked quietly over the bathroom door. She knocked softly, waiting a few moments for an answer. When she heard nothing she knocked again, louder this time. No response. With her body screaming for relief Weiss ventured in, opening the door slowly to muffle any noise she made. With the light from the window illuminating the dark closet her desire for relief began to diminish. The room had obviously not seen a bottle of bleach in years yet somehow it still had working plumbing from the water reflecting in the toilet. On the far side was a cheap tub from which she could hear shallow breathing.

Moving as quietly as she could she looked in on its occupant, surprised to see Jack sleeping soundly. How he managed to make himself comfortable was beyond her but what she really needed was for him to leave. She gave him a slight nudge, hoping it would be enough. He didn't stir. She pushed harder, shaking him with some effort. He moaned, shifting in his sleep.

"Jack, get up," she whispered fiercely.

"Five more minutes, Eli," he said sleepily.

"My name's not Eli, its Weiss Schnee, now get up and get out."

Jack lazily opened a single eye, the ice blue iris barely visible in the dim light. Rather than vacate the tub he simply rolled over, pulling his hood over his head to block out the light.

"Get up. I need to use the bathroom," she said.

"I told you, go outside and dig a hole."

"No, I won't do such a disgusting thing. Besides, it wouldn't kill you to go sleep in the other room," she argued.

"It wouldn't kill you to learn to utilize the great outdoors," Jack mumbled in retort.

Few things in life ever truly scarred Jack and even fewer had the ability to throw him completely off guard. With his continued refusal to leave the bathroom Weiss' tolerance for the man had run its course. Her face beat red from anger and the building pressure from her bowls she let lose her emotions on the unsuspecting victim.

"GET OUT!" she shrieked.

Jack leaped into the air before slamming down into the tub, his hands death gripping the edges as he starred into the razor sharp glare of Weiss Schnee. Out in the main room the young heiress's shriek had awoken everyone instantly. Demi instinctively leapt to her feet, the sword in her hand having shot out from its hilt, ready for blood.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" Weiss shrieked, shoving Jack out of the bathroom before slamming the door behind her.

Still shell shocked from Weiss' verbal onslaught, it was a moment before Jack was able to register exactly what happened. Looking to the perplexed faces starring at him only Yang broke the mold as she gave him a sly grin. His gaze slowly fell back on the bathroom door before he finally managed to find his voice.

"What the hell is wrong with that child?" he said rhetorically.

* * *

 **I decided to shorten this chapter mostly because what I had planned next would have made it much longer than it needed to be. As you can see I'm working on adding some back history for Jack as well as his profession. I figured it would be interesting to have Bounty Hunters as the predecessors to the Huntsman prior to the academies. When you actually watch the World of Remnant videos you find that they don't mention Huntsman very much in terms of having been around all the time until they set up the academies.**

 **Added some light humor between Jack and Weiss. Having spent some time camping when I was younger I decided to add an homage to the experience of knowing what it's like to have to dig yourself a hole in the woods as a makeshift toilet. Considering Weiss hasn't had much experience with camping (you can argue she did something similar in Vol. 2 but, let's be honest, it was less than 24 hours later that she found herself back in the city) I thought it would be rather humorous to showcase her discomfort about not having plumbing wherever she needed it.**

 **The next chapter will show a Jack in a more positive light and have Weiss start to show him some mutual respect. I also have some moments planned between the two of them where she comes to realize he regards her with more respect than she'd first thought as well as learn a little more about Demi's past.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I've seen the daily views of my story growing with each chapter so I'm very excited for that. Be sure to let me know what you think of this in the reviews and I'll see you next time RWBY fans.**


	8. Chapter 7: Revelations

**Revelations**

 **Anima – Outside small mining village – Jack**

No one had said a word once they left the hut. While they all had a theory regarding what Jack had done at such an early hour to earn Weiss' ire none of them had the courage to ask. Even Jack was puzzled. Last thing he remembered he was sleeping soundly. He was fairly certain he'd made it clear about their bathroom situation the previous night. How was it his fault that the pampered heiress couldn't handle relieving herself out in the woods? Plenty of animals did it all the time, why not her?

Occasionally Jack would venture a glance back at the silver haired banshee. His gaze was always met with a razor sharp glare that sent his blood running cold. Jack had never been so afraid for his life before and that was something, considering his profession. Thankfully the next town had an Inn, one which would afford them their own rooms and personal space. Still, they wouldn't always have that convenience. At some point she was going to have to swallow her pride, otherwise they were going to have problems.

The moment they entered the town called Redwood Grove Jack headed straight for the Inn. The others followed suit, attempting to take in some of their surroundings while keeping up with their guide. To say this place was a town gave it more credit than it was due. Aside from having the essentials, such as a blacksmith, general store, and Inn, the town was quite small with what appeared to be less than fifty people living there.

"We'll take three rooms please, one of them private," Jack informed the clerk as soon as they stepped inside.

"How many in each?"

"Five girls for one, two of the gentleman in the other, the last one for myself."

"Sounds a bit cramped."

"We can split the room up between the teams," Jaune suggested.

"Yea, Demi can stay with us," Ruby suggested.

"Works for me," Jack said as he paid for their rooms.

"Hold on. Why do you get your own room?" Weiss questioned.

"To avoid any more incidents where I might be woken up by a white haired banshee, screaming bloody murder because she can't be bothered to simply relieve herself out in the woods," he snarled.

"I wouldn't have to scream if you had bothered to get yourself up at a reasonable hour. Besides, it wouldn't kill you to sleep in the same room as everyone else. Part of your job is to be our body guard so shouldn't that include making sure your close by when danger appears?"

"You know what, you're absolutely right," Jake said to everyone's surprise. Demi could tell by the tone of his voice that he had something rather unsettling brewing behind his agreeable demeanor. "We should stick close. In fact, why don't we share a room together? After all, you are my employer and I wouldn't want anything to happen that might prevent me from getting paid."

Jack's creepy smile caused a horrible shiver to run through Weiss' body. Her face contorted into an expression of utter horror simply at the thought of sharing a room with the man. Rather than being repulsed by this reaction Jack was surprisingly pleased. Scooping up his pack he made his way to the stairs before saying.

"So we're in agreement on the room assignments then?" he said and disappeared up the stairs before anyone had a chance to argue.

* * *

 **Hotel Room – Demi**

"I don't even know why I hired that creeper!" Weiss said the moment they were alone.

"I wouldn't call him a creeper. A little intense but not creepy," Yang said.

"How can you say that? Didn't you hear the way he spoke to me, the way he smiled?"

"Maybe he just wanted to get a reaction out of you? You can be a little exaggerated when you're mad." Ruby suggested.

"Demi, help me out here. You think he's creepy, right?" Weiss pleaded.

"I'd say he's more guarded than creepy," Demi replied.

"What makes you say that?" Weiss asked, a little annoyed that someone didn't agree with her perspective of Jack.

"From the way he acts and talks. If he were simply creepy I'm sure everyone would be on edge. Even I would be wary of turning my back to him. The way he acts, though, it's more like he doesn't trust anyone. He's purposely pushing us a way in an effort to protect himself from what he sees as potential threats. Even the fact that he sleeps in the bathroom is associated with this mindset."

"You have to admit, that is a little weird," Yang pointed out.

"From a casual perspective yes, however, to him it's completely natural. He's seeking out a safe haven, a place where he can feel at ease without the worries of being accosted in the middle of the night. Think about it, that room was small, confined, without any windows and only one door. Even sleeping in the tub provided considerable protection from a surprise attack. He quite literally put himself in a position where he could funnel the threats in a manner that provided him full control of the situation."

"That's what I'm getting at. All of his behavior is creepy, unnatural. It feels rather unsettling to be around a man who sees danger everywhere," Weiss argued.

"Isn't your older sister a soldier?" Demi asked, knowing full well that she was.

"Yes," Weiss said, apprehensive in regards to what Demi was hinting at.

"Has she ever told you about any of her comrades, some of the experiences they've had, and maybe even some of them developing PTSD?"

"You think he has PTSD?" Ruby asked, surprised.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Remember what he told us about the bounty hunting profession? It isn't exactly the safest job in the world. He practically places himself in harm's way on a daily basis just to scrap out a living for himself."

"So why doesn't he get medical treatment? In Atlas, our military provides all our soldiers with the medical treatments they'd need, regardless of what it may be?" Weiss said as she started to sound more and more concerned, though mostly for herself rather than Jack.

"That's the military, Weiss. We're outside of the major cities. Out here doctors and hospitals are hard to come by. Even in the big cities where they might get help it costs a great deal of money and he'd be working a great deal more just to pay for the treatments. It's a lose-lose situation."

"That's…awful," Weiss said as she started to come to terms with what might be plaguing Jack.

"You know, when you think about it, Jack acts a lot like Weiss did when we first met," Ruby pointed out.

"Yea, you were as prickly as a cactus and went out of your way to distance yourself from people you didn't trust. It took a while before you finally started opening up to us and trusting your team," Yang added.

Weiss opened her mouth to argue but stopped just as quickly. In hindsight they had a point. While she had transferred to Beacon in an effort to distance herself from her father and his overbearing personality, her views on the people around her had been less than kind. It had only been after some hard work on her part and the unflinching loyalty of her teammates that she began to loosen up, learning to place her trust in others and coming to see them all more as sisters rather than just teammates.

"What should I do?" she asked, accepting that the responsibility lay with her.

"I'd start by easing up on Jack. I'm not saying you have to trust him completely but maybe show him a little kindness every now and then. It's often the simplest acts of kindness that have the greatest impact," Demi suggested.

"You have a lot of wisdom for someone our age," Yang pointed out.

"It's just something my aunt used to say," she replied.

"I heard you talk about your aunt before but not your parents. Why's that?" Ruby asked out of curiosity.

"They passed away when I was five," she said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ruby quickly apologized.

"It's alright, I was still very young when it happened so I don't remember much."

"Our mom died when were small too. Ruby's mom, that is. My mom's never really been a part of the family," Yang said, a little depressed.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?" Weiss said.

"My aunt never really tells me much. All she ever said was that someone they'd trusted betrayed them and it cost them their lives. I later found out that there was more to it. They'd actually been asked to bring their former friend in for crimes that he'd committed against Atlas but he was ready for them. He was eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison. Unfortunately, not everyone was satisfied with this decision. His actions had caused a great deal of suffering to a lot of people and they wanted him to suffer just as much as they had."

"How did they meet?" Ruby asked, attempting to steer the conversation to something a little lighter.

"They met while working a job together," Demi said, her tone becoming more upbeat and vibrant. "Mom came from a well-to-do sort of family and Dad was an orphan who'd pulled himself by his bootstraps and made a name for himself. They kept their relationship private for a while but once they announced that they were getting married it caused a major uproar within her family."

"That's not surprising," Weiss commented.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"When it comes to rich and powerful families like her mother's or my own, any marriage that isn't advantageous to us in some way financially or politically is looked down on. Anyone who marries outside their social class or without their families blessing is often treated as an outcast."

"That didn't seem to stop you from going after Neptune," Ruby said with a cunning smile.

"That has nothing to do with this!" Weiss said, blushing as she spoke. "What happened after they were married?" Weiss asked, attempting to steer the conversation back on course.

"Well, as you would expect, my mother's family turned on her completely. Only her elder sister remained close to her. My father's family had all died when he was young so they only had each other, as well as some of their close friends. They apparently did well as Hunters, managing to carve out a comfortable life for themselves while building up quite a reputation. Five years into their marriage I was born and then five years later they were gone."

"And your aunt took you in not long after," Weiss concluded.

"Yes, she raised me for the next thirteen years. She did her best to be a mother to me and never shied away from telling me stories about my parents and their exploits."

"That's pretty cool. A new spin on the Rags meets Riches kind of story," Yang said. "Speaking of stories I wonder if we can get more out of Jack regarding his?"

"We can ask him at dinner. I'll go get JNPR. Weiss, you go invite Jack," Ruby instructed.

"What! Why me?" Weiss asked, flustered.

"Because it'll be a good chance for you to start working on your relationship," Ruby said with a smile.

Though she knew better than to argue with her team leader Weiss still didn't feel comfortable confronting Jack so soon. Reluctantly though she walked out to his room and starred at his door. She began to rehearse what she'd say, hoping to avoid another argument with the off-putting man. She knocked lightly three times and waited. She heard nothing from the other side for a while and, assuming he hadn't heard, went to knock again.

When the door creaked open, revealing a pair of black eyes staring out from the dimly lit room, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Jack gazed down at her, opening the door only enough to show her his face. She was, however, able to smell several strange aromas coming from the room. This sudden change in atmosphere had made her forget what she was about to say and for a while they stood in silence.

"Can I help you?" he said in an impassive tone.

"We're about to have dinner and were wondering if you'd like to join us?" Weiss said, immediately falling into the lady like training she'd received since she was a young girl.

"I'll pass," he said and went to shut the door.

"Please!" She blurted out, much to her own surprise. Jack stopped for a moment, his face gazing down at her. While she couldn't see his eyes hidden beneath his glasses she could still feel them on her, studying her expression as he waited. "Please, we'd greatly appreciate having your company with us at dinner," she said in a more relaxed manner.

Jack's overall demeanor didn't waiver for an instant. He stayed perfectly still. Instinctively, Weiss could tell that he was studying her for any signs that she was lying. It was almost as if he expected her to have come here under the guise of a truce only to lead him into a trap. After what felt like an eternity of them standing in silence Jack finally spoke.

"I'll be down in a moment," he said and shut the door.

* * *

 **Hotel Dining Room – Weiss**

Finding a table to fit both teams was a chore in of itself. While the hotel had more than enough space to spare, they were unprepared in regards to the large party that had unexpectantly decided to take over the dining area. Ultimately, they decided to merge to of the large tables together, allowing everyone a spot. Before long the teams had settled into their old routine from school and were already engaged in a conversation regarding one of Nora's more outrageous dreams when Jack silently slipped into his seat.

Again Weiss nearly jumped out of her skin. While she wasn't sitting next to the man his sudden appearance in an otherwise vacant spot had caught her off guard. This didn't seem to bother anyone else or rather they simply chose to hide the fact as Nora continued on with her story.

"There we were, surrounded by Beowulves," she said.

"They were Geist," Ren corrected.

"Hundreds of them."

"There were five."

"We annihilated them all and made a killing selling ghost wards and dream catchers," she said triumphantly.

"She started having this dream right after we killed that one Geist a couple months back. It's been getting more and more elaborate as it's gone on," Ren explained.

"Taking on a Geist is no small feat," Jack commented.

"I take you've gone up against few of them yourself," Yang said.

"Not on my own," he admitted. "As they are Geist are the weakest of the Grimm. Once they manage to possess something, however, they become extremely difficult to kill. I've known a few bounty hunters and huntsman who lost their lives because they underestimated how crafty they can be."

"Speaking of, how long have you been a bounty hunter? The way you talk I'd almost assume you'd been in the business for decades."

Jack leaned back in his chair, adopting a position of deep thought that seemed almost foreign for a man like him. "I caught my first bounty when I was eight so I'd say that's when I first got started. Since then I've been doing this for the better part of fourteen years or so."

"You're only twenty-two?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"Don't remind me. The way my body feels I'd say I was a few decades older," he said.

"Seems superfluous that you would have started out at such a young age," Weiss said.

"One could say the same of Huntsman," Jack said in retort.

"Fair enough," she replied, attempting to keep a more positive attitude, recalling what Demi had mentioned about being kinder. "Where were your parents at the time?" She inquired.

Jack's expression grew dark as his eyes shifted away from hers. It was obvious that she'd stumbled upon a subject he wasn't comfortable with and immediately moved to change it when he spoke.

"They weren't around," he said in a somber tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize they'd passed," Weiss said apologetically.

"On the contrary, they were very much alive," he said.

Everyone looked to him in surprise. They hadn't expected him to have started out life under such intrinsic circumstances. Had they been dead it would've seemed almost natural for him to be left to his own devices but nothing short of a runaway made them wonder what had caused him to flee.

"So you ran away from home?" Ruby asked, the first to find her voice.

"I wouldn't say ran away so much as liberated myself from less than favorable environment," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing, forget about it. Bringing it up would only put us in a depressing mode," he said in an attempt to wave it away.

"I can't be that bad," Nora piped in with her usual bubble of energy.

Jack shot her a questioning look, an obvious tell that he thought differently. "Well, to put it simply, it was made very clear by the members of my village that my presence there was unwarranted and unwanted. It didn't take me long to understand their message and I left as soon as I was able."

"Didn't your parents try to find you? Surely they'd be worried sick once they'd realized you were gone," Jaune said.

"The only member of my family who would have cared enough to put their lives on the line to come and find me was my older Sister Eli," he said, pausing for a moment as he reflected on her, "and she died not long before I left home."

True to his word the mood had taken on a rather depressing atmosphere. Coupled with this, Weiss felt rather sympathetic towards Jack now. She'd left her home behind not once but twice and while she knew her father would care enough to bring her home himself it would only be to satisfy his own goals. Aside from that she at least had her older sister, though her work often kept them apart. To know that he had absolutely no one left to depend on began to shed some light on his overall perception of the world.

"Speaking of sisters, how many did you have again Jaune?" Ruby said, diverting the conversation.

"Oh, uh, s-seven," he said, his face turning a lit shade of pink.

"I can only imagine what it must have been like living with all those women," Yang commented.

"He'd have to have woken before any of them just to use the bathroom," Jack commented.

Everyone started laughing, quickly dispersing the depressing cloud that had hung overhead. Though he didn't say it Jack was grateful for this. While he did enjoy some peace and quiet he never liked sitting in awkward silence, especially when he was the root cause of it.

"Do you have any siblings, Demi?" Jaune asked, hoping to take the attention off himself.

"No, just me and my aunt."

"Demi's parent's past away some time ago," Ruby said.

"Yea, her mother apparently came from the same world as Weiss," Yang added.

"Really? What about your father?"

"He was just a regular huntsman," she said.

"It must have been difficult for her to leave that life behind," Ren commented.

"Not really. From what my aunt told me she was more than willing. They lead a happy life together."

"That's not an easy feat," Jack said.

"How so?' Ruby asked, curious.

"While I don't have as much experience with the world of the rich and powerful as Miss Schnee does I do have enough experience to say that Demi's mother's decision to leave it behind could have been either the most beneficial or detrimental decision she'd made."

"You say it like there are pros and cons to both," Yang said.

"That's because there are," he said.

"Care to elaborate?" Weiss asked, curious as to what he could possibly know about the world she had tried so hard to leave behind.

"Obviously, when we think of the high life we're naturally drawn to the aspects that come from having nigh unlimited wealth and power. While having those does impart many pleasures that are unheard for some of us it's not without its fair share of consequences."

"The major thing to consider is that it was Demi's mother, not her father, who's choice it was to leave that world behind. A decision like that was not something she would have made lightly and certainly not something she'd have accomplished without putting up one hell of a fight."

"I'm not sure I understand," Jaune said.

"Well, there's no nice way of putting this so I'll just be blunt. Woman of her stature are seen more as cattle, objects to be shown off at parties and social gatherings."

"What?" Yang said in disbelief. Weiss's gaze was glued to Jack, impressed at how enlightened he was in regards to their lifestyle.

"Whatever freedom you think they have is nonexistent in their world. You have more freedom than they. For the most part woman are expected to do what they're told, marry into another powerful family to further their own family's goals, and ultimately bare children to propagate the family line. All the jewelry, cloths, and finery are simply meant to fill in the void left from being denied the ability to say or act for themselves."

"You'll seldom meet a woman who has the tenacity to defy these cultural norms. If they follow the same path Demi's mother did it often ends with them being ostracized from the family, becoming someone who is never spoken to or spoken of again. That puts her in a very precarious position."

"How so?" Ren asked.

"While Demi's mother obviously led a happy life not all women will find the same happiness. Many of the luxuries they enjoyed in their previous life are now far beyond her reach. Unless they learn to cope with their new life their marriage can often take a downward turn before the first year is out."

"If they attempt to return to their old life, assuming their family takes them back, they can expect to remain ostracized from High society unless they remarry into a fairly well known and well respected family. Even then, however, whatever freedoms they might have enjoyed will all be gone. They'll have consigned themselves to a much worse fate than before."

"That's terrible," Ruby said.

"That's life. For a man born into such a life the world is our oyster. For a woman, however, your days are numbered until you're old enough to marry and by then their father's will have lined up every eligible bachelor with a pristine pedigree and advantageous family ties."

"So my mother got lucky," Demi mussed.

"Your mother was smart," Jack interjected.

"Thank you," she said, blushing out of pride.

From there the dinner conversation trailed off into stories regarding team RNJR and their adventures after leaving Vale which mostly consisted of Nora telling exaggerated versions with Ren correcting her throughout. Every now and then Weiss' gaze would shift to Jack, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. With his sunglasses still stuck on his face it was difficult for her to see if he was looking back at her or not.

It was obvious to her that he'd let his guard down somewhat and in so doing had shown them a lighter side to himself. While she still didn't completely trust him, mostly because she had learned to never fully trust anyone whose motives were driven by a promised paycheck at the end, she did have a bit more respect for him. Still, the man was a mystery to her and that left her wondering where is loyalties truly lay.

* * *

 **Hotel Room – Weiss**

Not long after dinner Weiss snuck out of their room to have a quick word with Jack. Nora had come bursting in moments before, crying out that they needed some girl talk, but feel asleep not long after. With most of her other teammates drifting off she decided it was a perfect time to have a chat with him. She knocked lightly on his door, waiting patiently as she remembered the man liked to take his time answering. A few moments past before the door creaked open, wider than before, with Jack fully clothed aside from the absence of his glasses.

"Evening, Miss Schnee," he greeted her.

"Good evening, Jack. May I have a word with you?"

He hesitated for a moment before opening the door wide enough to allow her entry. Weiss stepped in, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. As suspected it looked to be relatively untouched. The bed was still made and the curtains were drawn over the window. The table, on the other hand, was littered with small bottles and vials as well as various plants. While she didn't recognize everything she was able to denote some lavender and honeysuckle among some strange looking mushrooms, leaves, and eggs. All of them were set around a large bowl with small cylindrical handle laying inside.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Jack said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh, um…" she said, forgetting why she had come in the first place. Jack's eyes followed her gaze to the table and he immediately understood.

"I was making poisons," he said nonchalantly.

"Poisons?" She said, bewildered.

"Yes, it's how I deal with the bounties I take on. Not all of them are deadly, of course. Some simply paralyze the victim for a time while others put you to sleep. I try to keep my supplies fresh to insure I'm never without the bare-necessities."

"Seems rather dangerous to be walking around with all those poisons, though," Weiss pointed out.

"Not to worry. I keep their corresponding antidotes on me as well. Few things are more embarrassing than to be poisoned by your own hand."

"Indeed," she said, smirking at the cleaver though dark comment.

"So, what can I do for you?" he asked.

Weiss tore her gaze from the table to look Jack in the eye. Despite his relaxed attitude at dinner he had receded back into his guarded mannerisms. She couldn't blame him, though. While they had shown him acceptance one act was still less than adequate to win the man's trust. She should know better than anyone. It was a long while before she truly began to trust her teammates as well as anyone outside them.

"I… I came to apologize," she said hesitantly.

Jack's gazed softened, surprised by her words if not a little suspicious of her intent. "Apologize for what?"

"The way I've acted and how I've treated you the last couple of days. I've used the fact that you're my hired help as an excuse to treat you in such a deplorable manner. You've been more than generous to protect us on our way to Vale."

"I'd argue that saying my actions were generous is giving me more credit than I'm due," Jack admitted with a smirk.

"Regardless, my behavior has been abhorrent and I sincerely apologize for any trouble I've caused you."

If Weiss didn't know any better she'd say Jack was stunned by what she'd said. Obviously he never expected her to apologize for anything. For a moment his guard had dropped and she was able to get a better look at his eyes. Now that she could see them clearly they were quite beautiful, even in this dim lighting.

"You, um, you really didn't need to do that," he said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Believe me, I did," Weiss said.

"To be honest, though, your actions weren't unfounded. I haven't exactly been acting like a gentleman myself," he admitted.

Weiss had to quell the urge to agree with him. She was making progress and voicing her opinion would only be taking two steps back.

"Well, I think I should probably turn in for the night," she said, heading towards the door.

"Myself as well," he agreed hastily.

He walked with her to the door before opening it for her. As she stepped out she turned to face him and noticed that he had yet to put up his guard once more.

"Goodnight, Jack," she said.

"Goodnight, Miss Schnee," he replied.

"Weiss," she said. "Call me Weiss, please."

"Of course," he said with a small smile and slowly closed the door.

"Aww, how cute," he heard a young woman say.

With a sharp glare plastered on his face Jack walked back into the room and stared down at Emerald sitting at the table. Not long before Weiss had called on him Emerald had intruded on his space. Rather than hide she instead utilized her semblance, ensuring Weiss saw only the table and chairs instead of an unexpected guest.

"As I was saying before, you'd better have a good reason for why I shouldn't kill you and leave your carcass for the Grimm to gnaw on."

"I'm simply here on Salem's behalf to offer you a flag of truce," she said.

"The hell you are. I wasn't even gone a week before that bitch stabbed me in the back. What makes her think I'll lend my ear to her requests now?"

"Because she knows you're coming. She knows what you're planning. You can't beat her. No one can even get close enough to touch her," Emerald said, her even tone suggesting she said this more out of fear than personal experience.

"Who said anything about beating her? I know she's beyond my skills, but that doesn't mean I can't leave a dent in her forces, make an impression on her that's never forgotten," he said as he moved closer towards Emerald in a threatening manner, "speaking of which I could always start with you. It would be rather poetic; the messenger becoming the message."

"I don't think so," Emerald said, whipping out her revolvers and training them on Jack.

To her credit Emerald had learned from her prior experience. She'd taken every conceivable precaution to insure the man could not catch her off guard again. She'd even worn a rather potent bug spray that, had it not been for the various smells choking up the room, would have given her presence away the moment Weiss stepped inside. However, despite having him at gun point Jack didn't even flinch. Rather, he smiled in a manner that was reminiscent of their experience aboard the airship. Recalling the memory Emerald felt her arm beginning to tingle with a dull pain. She knew it was all in her head but she couldn't help flinching at the sudden onset of pain.

"You assume far too much, child. You think that all you have to do is out draw me and I'll be put on the ropes? I've been playing this game long before you and have more aces hidden up my sleeves than you could possibly imagine. What happened on the airship was merely a warning but this," he said as he raised his hands much like a maestro conducting an orchestra, "is the big leagues."

Without warning the room began to vibrate subtly. It started with the furniture and was soon followed by the walls and then the floor itself. Emerald looked around, sensing that something was coming but unwilling to drop her weapons from her intended target. The vibrations, however, refused to cease and it was a moment before she realized what was causing them. From various cracks and crevices small bugs could be seen worming their way out. From underneath the bed several mice and large rats, their white bone visible through their decaying flesh, came wobbling out to their master's call.

Greatly unnerved Emerald was caught off guard when several bugs dropped from the ceiling onto her head. She fell back, attempting to scream out in the process, but was silenced as Jack leapt forward, covering her mouth with one hand while drawing a long dagger with his other and bringing it up against her throat. She didn't even make a sound as she fell to the ground as her fall was muffled by the hoard of dead insects she'd landed on.

Before she could use her weapons to fight off her assailant the rats and mice he'd called to his aid lurched out and grabbed ahold of her revolvers. While she attempted to fight them off their combined efforts won out and they successfully dragged her weapons away. Only Jack remained, dagger to her throat, his eyes glaring sharply down at her.

"This is the last time I'll tolerate your presence, Emerald. Any visitations after this will be met with a swift death and nothing more. You are to go back and tell Salem there will be no more deals. She betrayed me once, as I had predicted she would, and I have no intention of returning to her service. The next time we meet it will be to wage war and she had best come prepared because I intend to take some rather hard won assets from her."

Emerald starred back up him, terrified for the first time in her life for her life. She expected something more, something that would include him using one of the many bottles he had set on the table to torture her, make an example of her, before sending her slinking back to Salem's side. To her relief Jack released his hold and backed off.

His minions, however, remained. Even as she retrieved her weapons from the rats they remained, a thousand tiny eyes glued to her person. Without another word she bolted from the room, out of the hotel, and into the night. Jack's message was clear. War was coming and it would be a conflict unlike any other.

* * *

 **So, some interesting character developments for our cast. Obviously I've been reading your reviews and was able to include a moment where Jack and Demi revealed their ages. If you didn't realize they're 18 years old and 22 years old respectfully. At this point I hope that at least clears things up. I'm sure that many of you assumed Jack was around Qrow's age but nope, he's fairly young.**

 **I was certainly happy to have made some progress with Weiss and Jack's relationship in this chapter. I'm trying to take things slow with these two. There'll be a few more moments that help to draw these characters together without their relationship seeming forced. The last thing I want is for it to feel like they were "just friends" and suddenly jumped to lovers within mere sentences.**

 **As of now I'm taking a break to rework some of the previous chapters. I'm not rewriting them, rather, I'm going back to do some revisions. I'm hoping this will draw more readers and make it easier to follow the story.**

 **Let me know what you thought of the chapter in your reviews. I look forward to hearing from you. As always, RWBY Fans, until next time.**


	9. Chapter 8: Friends and Weaknesses

**Finally finished all of the revisions to my previous chapters. Nothing too major, thankfully, but it was quite a chore going back through and finding all the problems. Had to get my creative juices going again so I could write this chapter. Hope you all enjoy. This is, hopefully, proof that I do indeed read you reviews and take them into account when writing. Also, if something you suggested doesn't appear here, rest assured it may appear later on in the story.**

 **Friends and Weaknesses**

 **115 P.G.W. – Atlas Cemetery – Winter**

Winter stood looking down at the grave of her younger sister. No matter how many times she came to visit it never seemed real to her. She placed a bouquet of flowers, Winter Roses, at the foot of the headstone. Next to Weiss was set her husband Jack. For him she set down a single black rose, a difficult endeavor to find but one that she always made a point of doing.

"I was told I'd find you here," Qrow's gruff voice called out.

Winter barley even glanced up as he approached. Standing beside her he gazed down at their graves, a solemn look on his face.

"Seeing them here, I always have a difficult coming to terms with the reality that they're actually dead. I never want to believe it. I always expect that at some point I'll see her standing there, happy and full of life."

"I know what you mean," Qrow said, sympathizing with her. "Oddly enough, when I heard that Jack was dead, I almost thought it was a joke. For a man like him whose semblance could raise and manipulate the dead, he couldn't even bring himself back to life."

"How did that surprise you?"

"I don't know. He was always so proficient with it that I expected he'd be able to raise himself from the grave, a walking, sentient corpse. Thing is, though, all the corpses he ever raised weren't sentient. They were just puppets, moving in time to the commands of their puppeteer Jack as he toyed with their strings."

"What if he had, though? Raised himself from the grave, I mean."

"Ehh, I doubt he would have stuck around," Qrow said. "He was never the kind of person to force someone to out live their usefulness. Once he was done with the corpse he always made a point to return it to it's origin. I doubt he would have wanted to live beyond death. He loved Weiss too much to let her venture into the afterlife alone."

"That's one of the few things I found agreeable about him," Winter mentioned. "While we never saw eye to eye he was, without a doubt, a man completely devoted to my sister and their daughter. As much as I never thought I'd hear myself say this I truly miss that man, almost as much as I miss Weiss."

"So do I, Snow Queen," Qrow said, nodding his head in agreement.

 **85 P.G.W. – Mistral Hotel – Jack**

Jack was seven years old, running for his life as a wave of darkness descended upon him. He ran as fast as he could, his legs burning from the strain. As the darkness drew closer, threatening to consume him, the Temple of the Maidens came into view. Instinctively he ran for the door and dove inside. The moment he passed the threshold the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind him, echoing in the depths of the church. Jack stared at the door, his heart beating like a drum against his chest as he waited for the darkness to burst through and claim him for itself, but nothing happened.

For a moment Jack rose cautiously to his feet, expecting that at any moment the doors would burst open, allowing his pursuer to reach in and drag him kicking and screaming into the abyss. To his great relief, however, the doors remained shut and Jack felt safe for the moment.

Rising to his feet Jack took a look around the Temple's interior. From the outside the building had looked small and cramped, barley able to accommodate the numerous patrons who flocked to it during the more spiritual holidays. Now that he was inside, however, Jack felt very small and intimated by how open and dark the building actually was. He had never ventured inside before now, though he'd always wondered what it had looked like. Now that he'd seen it he wanted nothing more than to leave. The cold stone pillars and contrasting colors made from the light pouring in through the stain glass windows gave the building a more eerie feel than an inviting one.

Jack was about to leave and take his chances with the darkness outside when a strange, muffled sound caught his attention. Until that moment he'd assumed he was the only one there but now that there was possibly someone else inside he might be able to garner some assistance from them. Walking cautiously around the pillars and past the wooden benches Jack was able to make out the hunched, shaking form of a woman kneeling near the altar at the head of the Temple.

The muffled sounds she was making were sobs and Jack found himself wondering if the woman had lost someone dear to her. He approached her slowly, not wanting to disturb her but all the while aware of the darkness lurking outside the Temple walls, waiting. As he drew closer Jack began to feel as if he knew the woman. She looked so familiar to him but he couldn't quite place her. He stopped only a few feet away, listening to her sobs, as she poured out her heart.

"Why?" he heard the woman whisper.

"Excuse me? Ma'am?" Jack said, his voice small and squeaky as he attempted to get the woman's attention.

"Why? Why did she have to die?" the woman asked, ignoring Jack.

"Ma'am, can you help me? I'm trying to find my way out of here?"

"Why did she have to die? Why couldn't it have been you instead?"

"I'm sorry?" Jack said, wondering if the woman was referring to him. Instinctively he took a step back, feeling the hostility that was starting to radiate off the woman.

"Why couldn't it have been you?" the woman hissed angrily as she turned to face Jack.

"Mother?" Jack said, immediately recognizing the woman's face.

"Why did you have to kill my daughter, my baby girl? Why couldn't it have been you instead?" she roared, rising to her feet and towering over him.

Without warning the doors to the church flung open, slamming with a resounding crash against the stone walls as the darkness poured inside. One by one the stained glass windows shattered, showering the air with multicolored snowflakes as they cascaded down around him. From where he stood the darkness came pouring in like water through the holes in a dam. Surrounded with nowhere to go Jack cried out for his mother, hoping she would save him, but saw only her face filled with malice as his vision grew dark.

 **Mistral Hotel – Jack**

Jack nearly leapt out of the tub and onto the ceramic tiled floor. A cold sweat covered his body as he struggled to calm his nerves. The dream had felt so real that his body had acted out of instinct when he lurched from his sleep. He was still recovering from his traumatizing nightmare when he realized that his room phone was ringing. Wiping the sweat from his brow he stumbled into the room, fighting off the blinding glare from the sun as he searched for his sunglasses. As soon as he found them he turned his attention to the phone, which at this point sounded more angry than urgent.

"Hello?" he said, the grogginess from his sleep evident in his voice.

"Hello Mr. Brisbane, this is the front desk."

 _Obviously_ Jack thought to himself. "What can I do for you?"

"We have a package for you, or rather a message left for you."

"By whom?" he asked, finding the details rather suspicious,

"I'm not sure. He didn't leave us with a name."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, well kept hair, held himself in a fairly professional manner, oh and he was wearing an expensive looking suit as well."

"Did he have an accent?" Jack asked, trying to piece the information together.

"Yes, he did. He sounded like he was from Solitas, possibly the Atlas region. We sometimes get people from there passing through on business."

Atlas? Jack started racking his brain for anyone he might know that would be from Atlas. The list was rather short, to say the least. Aside from James Ironwood and Winter Schnee there weren't too many people there that had the means to track him down. Then again it might have simply been a courier, an agent from someone in the upper crust of Atlas society, sent to deliver a message regarding a possible job. He'd meet some of them in the past. They typically traveled through word of mouth, starting with his last known location and going from there. Their lifestyles weren't all that different in regards to how they tracked their targets, except the courier's often paid better.

"What's the message?"

"I don't know sir. Your eyes only is what he instructed before he left."

"Very well, I'll be right down."

Pulling on his coat Jack stumbled out into the hallway. The dream had taken more out of him than he's realized as he found it difficult to stay awake. While he wasn't a stranger to being deprived of some much needed rest, after all bounty hunting often forced him to keep a sharp eye his target both day and night, the way it had affected him now felt disconcerting. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes he almost didn't notice the hallway's other occupant until he was right on top of her.

"Hey, watch it!" he heard a woman cry out.

"Oh, excuse me I- Miss Schnee, good morning," Jack said, taking a moment to register just whom he was speaking with.

"Good morning, Jack. I thought I told you to call me Weiss?" she said, her annoyance evident in her voice.

"Indeed you did. It's just taking some getting used to. I don't often operate on a first name basis with my clients."

"You don't seem to be operating well at all. How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Plenty though the dream I had has rendered it all utterly useless."

"That bad, huh?" Weiss asked, concerned.

"It's nothing to worry about. A quick bath and I'll be ready to go. Let the others know we'll be heading out within the next hour."

"Alright," she said, still not convinced but reluctantly did as she was told.

As soon as he reached the front desk and was handed his package Jack could hear his heart thumping in his ears. The letter was devoid of any insignia, which often meant the patron wanted to keep their identity secret. Opening up the letter he pulled out a single white card that had an address printed on one side with a private room number. Jack knew the place and was not thrilled about venturing there. Still, it was along their route so he'd see what the job was and, if he had the time, he might indulge them.

Jack was silent as they left the hotel. Despite his intention to use the bath as a means of relaxing himself all it did was give him time to think. Between his dream and the unusual message he'd received it was almost as if something was trying to warn him of some impending doom. The very thought of it was at the forefront of his mind, even as they ventured out. Weiss had noticed it not long after. While Jack had been a strangely quiet person before he seemed almost robotic now, like he was operating on auto pilot. It became even more apparent when they were approached by a complete stranger whom Jack didn't even acknowledge.

"Jack?" the man asked.

"Scuse me?" Jack said, shaking himself free of his thoughts.

"Jack Brisbane, it is you," the man said excitedly as grasped Jack in a big hug.

"What? Hey, let me go!" Jack protested, pulling himself free of the man's grasp. Jack stumbled backwards, irritated by the unwelcomed human interaction before taking notice of the man himself. For a moment he starred at him, his face and features somehow familiar to him.

"Coal?" he said, the man's face lighting up at the recognition.

"I knew you'd remember," the man said excitedly, bringing Jack in for another hug which he oddly reciprocated. Everyone exchanged awkward glances, wondering just who this man was.

"Friend of yours, Jack?" Weiss finally asked.

"Uh, yes, in a manner of speaking. This is Coal Smith," he said, introducing him to the group.

"Wonderful to meet you all," Coal said.

At first glance Coal wasn't much to look at. Tall but scrawny, he wore second hand clothing that looked in desperate need of a mend and was covered from head to foot in a thin layer of dirt. By all appearances he seemed to be a scarecrow that had been through a dust storm.

"Coal, these are my… friends," Jack said, hesitating on the last word. "This is Jaune and Ren. Nora, Yang and her sister Ruby, Weiss, and Demi."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Coal said humbly. Everyone greeted him politely, thankful to see a friendly face. "Where are y'all off to, then? It looked like you were deep in thought."

"We were actually headed to the next town. I have a possible job that came up," Jack said.

Weiss gave him a curious glance at the mention of a job but Jack countered with a reassuring look. Despite the progress they'd made the night previous Weiss still didn't fully trust Jack. However, she was willing to believe he wasn't going to lead them into anything dangerous and let it slide.

"That's perfect. I was on my way home myself. You should stop by and have a home cooked meal."

"Thank you Coal, but we shouldn't. With how many of us there are I'm afraid we'd simply be intruding on your family," Jack said apologetically. Several faces that had held excitement at the prospect of a home cooked meal quickly slumped into a frown. It seemed it would be another night of whatever they had on hand.

"Nonsense, we'd love to have you. The more people the better and I won't take no for an answer. Besides, Emma will insist that we give you a taste of some real food," Coal said as he put his arm around Jack's shoulder and began leading them down the road.

Everyone began exchanging excited looks as they followed closely behind. Demi, while hopeful, looked onward with renewed curiosity at her father. It was the first time she'd seen him act so familiar and friendly with anyone. All things considered she hoped she might be able to see and learn a little more about him. If all went well, that is.

 **Anima Mining Town – Jack**

As the group walked into the "town" they all starred at the scarcity of the buildings. While it was a stretch to call their previous location a reputable town, where they were now was nothing more than a mining village with wooden cottages instead of tents. Coal directed them to a small cottage near the edge of the camp. It was reminiscent of the dilapidated hut they'd squatted in only a few days' prior except that this one was slightly larger, with a few additional rooms having been added on over the course of time.

"Emma, I'm home, and I've brought guests," Coal said loudly as they shuffled into his home.

"Welcome home, love," his wife said, greeting him with a warm kiss as he entered the den. To say that Emma was a simple country girl would have been a grave insult to her natural beauty. She had long, curly red hair that reached halfway to her waist, chocolate brown eyes, and soft lips that made all the boys hearts skip a beat.

"Who have you brou- Jack?" she said, interrupting herself mid-sentence the moment her eyes fell on the frightening figure standing in the doorway.

"Hello Emma," Jack said cheerily. Weiss perked up, hearing the soft familiarity in his voice.

"Jack," she said excitedly, rushing to give the man a hug.

Jack returned the hug, the act of which caused Weiss to feel a slight twinge of annoyance. Who was this woman to act so familiar around him? Things were only made worse when Emma gave him a small kiss on the cheek and, rather than protest, he returned it with a warm smile. Weiss felt her emotions flare, her annoyance turning irritation and anger directed solely at Jack. He may just be some hired help but, damn it, he was **Her** hired help.

"May I introduce my friends? This is Jaune Arc and Lie Ren."

"Hello," Jaune said, thankful he was wearing gloves over his sweaty hands as he shook hers.

"Thank you for having us," Ren said.

"Over her are Ruby Rose and her older sister Yang Xio Long."

"Hello," Ruby said in a cheerful manner.

"Nice to meet you," Yang chimed in.

"That's Nora Valkyrie."

"Hi!" she said excitedly.

"Lastly we have Demi and her sister Weiss."

Demi gave Emma a polite greeting while Weiss shot Jack an annoyed glance. He reciprocated it with a causes one of his own. She sighed, still irritated by his actions but fell back onto her lady-like demeanor.

"A pleasure to meet you," she said robotically. While Emma gave no hint that she noticed Weiss' odd behavior, Ruby and Yang exchanged nervous glances. Even Demi looked curiously at her mother before noticing the look she gave Jack. It wasn't hard for her to put two and two together to realize what was going one. She smiled, amused that her mother was actually jealous.

Some movement near Emma's feet caught their attention and Jack looked down to see two chocolate brown eyes and rosy cheeks staring up at him. An audible cue from the girls sounded, all of them immediately taking notice of the small boy who hid behind his mother for safety from the strangers that had invaded his home. Jack kneeled down, a warm smile on his face but the boy receded behind his mother's dress, obviously intimidated by his appearance.

"Come now, Joseph. Don't be rude. They're friends of ours," Emma said reassuringly.

Joseph didn't seem to agree as he looked at Jack with obvious suspicion. A sad smile crossed his face before disappearing just as quickly. The boy's reaction was less than surprising to him but still it was something he didn't care to see all to often.

"So, how did you guys meet?" Yang asked after they'd settled down for supper.

Moments ago Coal had suggested that they all stay for dinner. Jack, being who he was, had attempted to get them out of it once again but was immediately shot down by Coal before his wife Emma flanked him from the side, adding that they should all stay the night as well. Despite his protests Jack caved in, earning himself some nasty glares from Weiss that had him wondering just what he'd done wrong.

"Well, Emma and I were childhood sweethearts," Coal said, smiling at his wife who gave him a sunny grin in return. "We sort of grew up together and things simply worked out."

"I'm not sure that's exactly what Miss Xio Long meant by her question," Jack said in between bits of his rabbit stew.

"Oh, you meant how we met Jack?" Coal asked.

"More or less. Jack just doesn't seem like the type to have any real friends."

"That's putting it lightly," Weiss mumbled, loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh, I see," Coal said, glancing at his wife before continuing. "Would you like to tell the story or shall I?" he asked Jack.

"How about you start off and I'll fill in whatever holes there might be in your retelling?" he offered.

"Right," Coal said, leaning back in his chair to get more comfortable. "It actually starts not long after Emma and I got engaged. As you can obviously see our little village here is just that; little. We were originally part of a larger town but, due to unforeseen circumstances, we were forced to branch off from them and make our own way in the world."

"What my husband means is that we had a disagreement with the town Elders regarding certain regulations they'd set for us. It become so bad that we had no choice but to leave our home and try to rebuild our lives elsewhere."

"I can relate. My parents, as well as several others, did the same thing when they left Mistral," Ren said.

"Unfortunately, the price for our freedom was a steep one. When we left we had nothing more than than the clothes on our backs, the money in our pockets, and whatever we could carry with us in our arms. We managed to strike a deal with the Schnee Dust Company that enabled us to build this village," Coal said.

Weiss froze at the mention of her family's company. At that moment it slowly began to dawn on her why Jack had played her off as Demi's sister. Despite them being his friends Jack must have known of their relationship with the SDC and, as with most people she'd met, and it wasn't always a good one.

"It wasn't nearly enough, though," Emma said.

"It's enough for us to make a living with. We even get paid extra if you're willing to work an extra shift or two," Coal said cheerfully.

"But we don't even have a wall," Emma protested.

"Weren't you supposed to have one by now?" Jack inquired.

"It's in the works," Coal said with a forlorn expression.

"So how did Jack come into the story?" Demi asked. "I'm guessing he might have been hired on as added security or um," she hesitated with the next part, "an enforcer?"

"Hey, I don't just take whatever job that pays. I have standards," Jack said in protest.

"No, no, nothing like that," Coal added in his defense.

"It was actually bandits," Emma finished.

Yang chocked on some of her stew at the mention of the word. Though they hadn't said it she silently wondered if her mother, Raven, had anything to do with the story. While her knowledge regarding her mother was limited, which was sad in its own special way, she did know enough to say that her mother was the leader of a bandit trip which had previously raised both her and her brother Qrow until the latter sibling decided to cut ties with them altogether.

"What happened?" Jaune asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"Simply put, we were a prim target and they attacked. We didn't have much in the way to defend ourselves. They overtook us without much resistance and made off with the woman, Emma included, and disappeared into the forest." As he related the story to them a sad tone could be heard in his voice. Emma instinctively reached out and took his hand in hers for comfort.

"We weren't sure about what to do. Some of us wanted to go after the bandits but others argued it would be too dangerous. Considering how easily they'd defeated us before, going after them through Grimm infested territory was suicide. We appealed to the local authorities but they weren't much help either. That's when Jack came wondering into town.

As you might expect he was quite a sight to behold. Even back then he was well known as his reputation had preceded him among some of the villagers. We begged him for his help, offering him whatever we had in exchange. He didn't say much but he scarred the shit out of many of the men there."

"Coal, language," Emma said irritatingly as she glanced over at their son.

"Sorry, I was only stating the truth. Anyway, Jack agreed to help us and he left to find the bandits all on his own. Most of the men assumed he would be killed before he even reached their hideout. Others assumed he was one of them and had been sent to see if we had been hiding any valuables from them that they might have missed."

"As I recall I didn't exactly storm their fortress on my own. I had a rather noisy companion following me along the way," Jack mussed, giving Coal a knowing look.

"I was just being cautious and besides they had my Emma. I wasn't comfortable sitting at home, hoping that a complete stranger with a questionable reputation could guarantee my wife's safety."

"No, of course not. You had to make sure I would guarantee their safety along with your own," Jack said with a smirk.

"Um, are you the boogieman?" Joseph's small voice cut in.

"Joseph, don't be rude," Emma chided her son.

Demi glanced over at Jack, expecting to see a surprised look gracing his face. Instead he was hunched over his stew, shaking slightly. Concerned, she wondered if he might be chocking on his meal but soon realized that he was actually laughing.

"I'm so sorry Jack, I don't know where he gets such ideas," Emma apologized.

"Not at all, Emma. To be honest I find the question quite amusing," he said.

"Sorry but what's the Boogieman?" Demi inquired.

"He's just a fairytale," Coal said, attempting to sweep away the absurdity of his son's question.

"You mean a dark legend," Jack corrected. "The Boogieman is a story native to parts of Anima. It's believed that, long ago, a Huntsman who'd lost his way and became obsessed with obtaining as much power as he could, reached out to the God of darkness. They struck a deal in which the man was granted unimaginable power and in exchange would become the God's most powerful and loyal servant. He was then corrupted by the darkness, becoming the first and only Human-Grimm hybrid."

"Why would anyone do that?" Jaune questioned.

"For the exact same reason anyone does anything, because they believe that the rewards outweigh the means required to obtain them. If you ever have the chance, take a look into the lives of some of Remnants most notorious corrupted leaders, you'll find that their reasons for doing what they did to earn such an abysmal reputation usually revolved around their desire to gain even greater power than they already had."

As she listened to her father speak, Demi's thoughts drifted to Ironwood. Ever since she'd learned of his involvement in the deaths of her parents a part of her had wanted to know why exactly he had done what he did. She was only now beginning to understand the warped perception the man must have had. To achieve his end goals he was willing to sacrifice a few people in the process. Even now she realized his perception of reality had not changed. He still believed he was in the right; the only question now was how many more people would be lost to his self delusions.

"Do you think I'm the Boogieman, Joseph?" Jack asked, pulling Demi out of her thoughts. Joseph shrugged, an honest answer only a child could give.

"I see. Well, just so you know, I'm not the Boogieman, though I've met some people who've come close to being something similar," he said as he reflected on his time being incarcerated by Salem.

"Do you fight bad guys?" he asked.

"Did your father tell you that?"

Joseph nodded. With a weary smile Jack looked at the boy. "Some of people I've encountered have been bad but not all of them."

"Why?"

"It's hard to say. My job doesn't allow for much room on the interpretation of good and evil. To put it simply, I track down people and I get paid for it."

The rest of their dinner went by quickly. Before long the world outside grew dark and the group decided it was time to turn in. Unfortunately for Jack his friend's home only housed one bathroom right off the master bedroom. While he didn't say anything it was obvious he wasn't too pleased about sleeping with the rest of the group but voiced no complaints. Sticking close to the wall on one side of the room Jack laid flat on the floor, much to everyone's surprise.

"Forget your sleeping bag?" Yang asked jokingly.

"I don't use one."

"You sure? It looks really uncomfortable just sleeping on the hard floor. I'm sure Coal would be happy to lend you a pillow or something," Ruby suggested.

"I'm perfectly fine," Jack reassured her.

"If you don't mind me asking, what you said at dinner, about your job, what did you mean by it?" Jaune asked.

Jack was silent for a moment. Laying perfectly still on the floor with his eyes closed and his hands crossed over his chest, looking to everyone like a body waiting to be place in a casket. For a moment some of them thought he might be asleep or worse yet dead. When he finally spoke, however, it caught them all off guard.

"Being what I am I've come to learn that my job doesn't afford a great deal of interpretation in regards to the concept of good and evil."

"What do you mean?"

"All too often we assume that good and evil are as different as black and white. We're taught from an early age that the two are so different from one another, so distinct, that they act much like oil and water, neither one being able to mix with the other. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that, all too often the two go hand in hand, in more ways than we realize."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Let me give you an example. Say a man breaks into a store and steals some stuff. The man is a thief and by law is guilty of having committed a crime, correct?"

"Yea, I guess."

"Now, if we were to ask the question of why we might also learn that the man stole in order to survive or help his family to survive. Basically he did the wrong thing for the right reason simply because he saw no other options available to him."

"Compare that to a man who kills another man. By law, and ethics, he has committed an evil act. He has murdered a man in cold blood. However, what if I were to tell you that the man he killed had made threats against his family, that because of his immense wealth and power he assumed he could do anything he wanted to anyone he saw as beneath him and get away with it? Knowing this the man killed him, believing it was the only viable option for him at the time in order to protect the people he loved."

"That's terrible," Weiss said, forgetting her annoyance with Jack for a brief moment.

"I'm guessing that was someone you were hired to track down," Demi remarked.

"Honestly, I can't really say. I've met so many people who's lives were defined by unfortunate circumstances that it was difficult to define their actions as right or wrong. That's something we never would have understood as children. Despite everything we're taught good and bad are far from black and white, in truth it's all a gray mess, leaving us to determine what is right and wrong."

"Then we'll just have to change that," Jaune added before drifting off to sleep.

For the first time in a while Jack slept without being accosted by nightmares. While most would have found this to be a blessing it was quickly forgotten as the sound of horrendous coughing roused him from his sleep. Having trained himself to be a light sleeper Jack was awake and aware almost instantly. From the sound he could tell it was coming from the master bedroom and more importantly from Coal. While this usually wouldn't bother him the intensity of his coughs caused some concern for him. His fears were soon verified when he heard a loud thump before Emma screamed in panic.

"Coal!" she shrieked.

Her cry waking everyone from their slumber, Jack was on his feet and bolted for the door. He burst through to Emma and Coal where his friend lay unconscious on the ground with his wife kneeling over him.

"What happened?" he asked, rushing to his friend's side.

"I don't know. He was fine yesterday. He had a slight cough but, when he got up, he just fell over."

"Help me get him on the bed," he instructed. Collecting herself Emma assisted Jack in hoisting her husband onto the bed.

With light from their bedroom window bathing the room Jack was able to observe some disturbing things about Coal. He was pale, clammy, and sweating profusely. In his hand was a handkerchief which he'd been coughing into. Upon closer inspection Jack's heart nearly dropped when he saw it splattered with blood. Putting his ear to the man's chest he could detect his labored breathing and his heart pounding faster and faster in an attempt to compensate.

"What happened?" Ruby asked from the doorway, taking a moment to soak in the situation.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Joseph's tired voice called from the doorway.

"Emma, you'd better take care of Joseph," he instructed. Without a moment's hesitation she nodded in agreement before scooping her son into her arms and taking him from the room. "Ruby, get me some cold water and a clean rage. If you can find some ice that'll be great as well, otherwise make sure it's as cold as you can make it. Yang, I need you to boil some water for me. Everyone else, come with me."

While momentarily surprised by his sudden "take charge" attitude no one questioned Jack in the slightest. As they followed him into the kitchen Ruby shuffled past, caring a large bowl of water and a rag into the master bedroom. Emma sat at the table, doing her best to keep herself calm despite recent events. Not long after instructing her Yang came to the table, caring a large teakettle filled with boiling water. Jack removed the top and from within his jacket he removed a large glass bottle filled with green powder. He dumped the contents into the kettle before closing it.

"Nora, I want you and Yang to administer this to Coal every hour on the hour."

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"It's a mixture of herbs I created. It'll help to clear out his system but it won't be too pleasant. Aside from chills and sweating his body is going to be flushing out all its impurities. I hate to ask you to do this but I need someone to assist Coal when the effect take hold."

"You can count on us," Nora said with her usual gusto.

"What does he have?" Demi asked.

"Pneumoconiosis," Jack said.

"What?" Weiss said, her mind steadily attempting to register the foreign word.

"Miner's cough," Emma chirped in. "It's common among dust miners."

"It comes from constant exposer to the conditions of a dust mine. Usually it takes years to show signs this sever."

"What do we do?" Weiss asked with genuine concerned.

"What I put into the kettle will help but it won't be enough. We're going to have to go out and gather more herbs, a lot more."

"That's absurd! Why don't we do the rational thing and call a doctor?" Weiss argued.

"The nearest doctor is nearly three days away, in Mistral. Not only that but this is Grimm territory, which means it'll take longer for them to reach us with an escort and that's not even taking into consideration the amount of Lien it would cost for the treatments alone. Knowing this we can either take our chances and wait or you can come with me and help gather herbs."

Without bothering to wait for a response Jack marched out the front door. Jaune and the other's exchanged looks before following suit with Weiss brining up the rear. They followed him out into the forest, their weapons at the ready in case they came upon any Grimm. As soon as they'd ventured a good distance into the tree line Jack stopped and pulled two large bags from inside his jacket.

"Jaune, you'll go with Ren and Demi. You're to gather this," he said, pulling out a distinctly purple leaf with serrated edges. "Gather as much of it as you can. The more surplus we have the better. Weiss and I will be looking for it's more elusive companion, a flower that grows around these parts."

"Maybe I should go with you and Weiss instead. After all, with how hard this ingredient is to come by I'm sure that the three of us could find a great deal more," Demi suggested, hoping to stick close to her parents, especially when they seemed on the verge of a colossal fight.

"No, you'll stick with Ren and Jaune. I need to have a private chat with my employer," Jack said.

Weiss felt a slight chill run through her at hearing Jack's tone. It was obvious he was annoyed and a little disappointed. It reminded her somewhat of her father but not in the same fashion that made her fearful. Rather, it made her feel slightly guilty, mostly because she knew his feelings were justified.

She followed him as he headed in the opposite direction of their companions. She expected him to start yelling as soon as there was a good distance between them but he was silent. Every now and then he'd bend down, examining a small patch of flowers before plucking the petals off of a distinctly blue set. Weiss noticed the uniqueness of the plant and did the same, hoping to avoid adding negligence in helping his friend to the list complaints he obviously had. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence Jack stopped and took in a deep breath. Weiss stiffened, sensing the coming storm that was about to erupt from the man.

"I had hoped we'd settled our differences a couple nights ago," he said calmly.

"We did," she said, wondering if that was the best answer.

"Then why is it that your attitude towards me feels like we've taken two steps backwards? How did we make so much progress only to sweep it away just as quickly?" he asked. Weiss was silent. She didn't know exactly how to respond, mostly because she didn't want to admit to something that seemed so very superfluous to her.

"I understand that you and I come from two distinctly different worlds, Miss Schnee, but this game you seem to be playing with me is one that I don't wish to be a part of. Either we can be friends or business associates. I leave it up to you to decide."

He said nothing for the remainder of their search. For the next few hours they filled their bag with ingredients before meeting up with the others to return to the house. As soon as they'd reunited Demi took note of her parent's demeanors. Jack was once again on his guard. He was serious and focused, both good traits for the task ahead of them, but it was underlined by an obvious annoyance and irritation. Weiss had lost some of the natural confidence she usually exuded, making her seem smaller by comparison. It was apparent to her that their "discussion" had not been a pleasant one, something that made her heart sink just thinking about.

In retrospect things had improved while they were away. True to his word the herbal tea Jack had crafted did its job. Yang joked that it had been a absolute miracle that they'd managed to get Coal to the bathroom just before the detoxification process went into full swing. As soon as it had done its job, however, Coal was back in bed, sleeping soundly but heavily.

Taking this into account Jack commandeered the dinning room table, setting the bags of herbs on it before retrieving his mortar and pestle from the guest room and setting to work. He said nothing, completely focused on the task at hand, while the others alternated between observing him and checking on Coal's condition. He worked well into the night, forgoing sleep while everyone else went to bed. Only Weiss ventured to check on Jack who had not shirked from his task despite the arduous requirements it exuded on his body.

"Jack, it's late, you should rest," she said.

"Not until this is finished. I should be done by morning and by then there'll be plenty of this to counter the effects from the pneumoconiosis."

"Then let us help you. The work will go faster if you have more people working."

"No," he said somewhat defensively, "work like this requires that you know exactly how much of each ingredient you need to mix together. It'll take too long to explain to everyone and aside from that I only have one mortar and pestle."

"I see," she said, somewhat disappointed by his statement. "Jack, about what you said to me earlier today- "

"It can wait," Jack interrupted.

From his tone she could sense he had no desire to argue. Silently and reluctantly she returned to bed but found it difficult to sleep through the night. The next morning they found Jack had finished the herbal medicine, preparing a tea for Coal while hiding the fact that he was tittering on the edge of collapse from lack of sleep. After leaving instructions for his friend to have one cup with each meal he retreated into the guest bedroom, lay on the floor, and passed out immediately.

 **Mining Village, Coal's home – Jack**

For three days Jack remained with his friends, making sure Coal didn't lapse back into a much worse state. As it turned out it took only two for the young man to bounce back while the third was spent instructing them on the proper storing of the herb to help prevent further instances. By his count it would last them a great deal longer than they would need but Demi could see that, in his eyes, he expected the herbal remedy to run out long before then. As they were preparing to leave she noticed him walking off with Emma. Curious, she followed them outside where she could hear a conversation between them.

"What has he been doing, Emma?"

"What do you mean?"

"Coal's condition was far worse than it should have been. Most people I've seen suffering from miner's cough were either middle-aged or elderly men. Coal is barley midway through his twenties. It shouldn't be possible, not unless he was being exposed to a much greater amount of dust than per usual."

Cautiously, Demi ventured a glance. Hidden among some trees she was able to see the forlorn look on Emma's face as her eyes studied the ground, unable to look at Jack.

"He's been taking extra shifts at the mine, hasn't he?" Jack concluded.

"It's for Joseph," she said.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothings wrong with him. Its- "she paused, hesitant to continue. "It's for his future."

The look of concern Jack wore morphed into one of understanding. She understood as well. While they had enough to get by, Joseph's future, as it was, would most assuredly send him into the mines with his father. No doubt they wanted something more for their son than to mine for dust while slowly dying in the process.

"We've been saving up as much as we can so, when he's old enough, we can send him Haven Academy. He'll be able to become a Huntsman and maybe even escape this life. We don't have much in the way as parents to give to our child but at least we can insure he has a better future waiting for him." She wiped away several tears that had begun rolling down her face as she spoke.

For a moment Jack's expression remained understanding and then reverted back to one of concern. Without a word he reached into his jacket and pulled out a large envelope before handing it to Emma. Perplexed, she looked inside and nearly dropped it when she was startled by it's contents.

"Jack, we can't- "she started, attempting to force the envelope back into his hands.

"Yes, you can," Jack said, forcing the envelope on her. "With this Coal may be able to stopping working so many shifts and stick around long enough to see his son become a respectable Huntsman."

Overcome with gratitude Emma's eyes erupted into tears. She immediately latched onto Jack in a grateful hug, catching him off guard in the process. She gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek before whispering "thank you" and rushing back into the house. As Jack slowly walked back his gaze shifted over to Demi, his eyes level with hers.

"You do realize that it's rude to eavesdrop on a private conversation?"

"Sorry, I was just too curious not to."

"Whatever. Keep this to yourself."

"Why?"

"I have a reputation to uphold. It won't help me if people know that one of the most feared Bounty Hunters in all of Remnant has a weakness."

"You consider your friends to be a weakness?" Demi asked with a chuckle.

"No, I consider them a liability. If there's one thing I've learned from working for powerful people it's that, the more power you have the greater the target on your head. Not everyone has the same values and moral fortitude. There are quite a few people that will use anything or anyone to get an edge on their enemies. The more people believe that I'm a loner and anti-social the fewer people I care about will get hurt," he said in a stern tone.

 **Salem's Castle – Prof. Watts**

"My mistress, it is ready," Watts said.

Salem smiled, pleased with the progress her subordinates were making. Not long ago she had instructed Watts to facilitate the capture of Ruby Rose and Jack Brisbane at Haven Academy. While he'd been initially successful in capturing them they'd underestimated the hold Jack had on people, powerful people, who'd managed to free them from their confines and set them back on the path to Vale. Despite this setback Salem was confident that Jack was on his way to her. In the meantime she'd had Watts working on a special project.

Entering the room with a stainless steel briefcase, Watts set it before his Mistress. Unlocking the two clasps he revealed its contents to her. Salem smiled, pleased with his work. She ran a pale hand over the device, feeling the power and raw ferocity of the tool. It would do nicely.

"Well done, Watts, I'm very pleased with how your work turned out."

"Thank you, my mistress," Watts said, bowing slightly.

"Send in Tyrian at once. I want him to begin using this immediately. Once he has become proficient with it I'll give him once last chance to prove his loyalty, and overall worth, to me."

 **Man, this took a while to write. Glad to be back in the swing of things, though. I had originally planned to have this as part of the previous chapter but, with how big it was becoming, I decided to make it it's own chapter. Glad I did that too. So much I was able to do with the character of Jack. I hope that this chapter hit some in a soft spot, maybe even got a few tears as well. I wanted to showcase how Jack, in spite of being an asshole, can also be very kind and generous.**

 **A bit of an author's note here. The black rose that Winter sets down does actually exist in real life. They're not really black so much as a very dark shade of crimson that appears almost black. They're an extremely difficult to find type of rose, only found in areas such as the Middle East, I believe. If you don't believe me feel free to look it up. You might be surprised by what you find.**

 **If you're wondering yes** **pneumoconiosis is an actual disease. It's actually something coal miners would contract and the symptoms fit perfectly with that of a dust miner in Remnant. What adds further evidence to this actually comes from a World of Remnant video created by Rooster Teeth during the Vol. 4 of RWBY. It was in regards to Nicholas Schnee and at one point talked about how his time working in the mines had a negative effect on his overall health.**

 **Going to introduce another OC in the next chapter. He's not one that we'll see very often, more like an on again, off again sort of person. I've also determined that my next few chapters need to include more development between Jack and the others. First on the list is Jaune. Going to have a heart to heart between the two of them. It'll be a great setup for what's coming around the corner.**

 **Well, that's it for this chapter. I honestly beat. Hopefully I'll be able to work on this some more but we'll just have to see how my schedule pans out. I'll be moving within the next month or so which may make things difficult. Fingers crossed.**

 **As always, I'll see you next time RWBY fans. Peace.**


	10. Chapter 9: Renewal

**Sorry, no new OC this chapter. As soon as I started writing I started making changes to the overall story which meant that the OC I had planned on putting in was pushed to later iterations. Hopefully I'll have more fleshed out for him by then.**

 **Renewal**

 **85 P.G.W. – Anima – Demi**

It took them nearly half a day to reach their destination in the next town. All along the way the group chatted about the state of affairs that had lead Coal's family living in such dire conditions. Weiss rarely spoke throughout. While on the one hand she desired to defend her family's honor, and subsequently the company her grandfather had started, she also knew that much of what they said was true. As much as she hated to admit it her father was both directly and indirectly responsible for the conditions many of the SDC workers lived in.

More than this, however, Weiss was wary of saying anything else that might set Jack off. Not long before they had departed Weiss noticed Emma reentering their home, wiping away tears and holding something close to her chest as she hurried inside. Before she was able to ask her what was wrong she noticed Jack enter the house as well, followed closely by Demi. While the sight of this had her earlier feelings of jealousy beginning to resurface a reminder to herself of their conversation in the forest only a day prior had clamped her mouth shut. While she was still curious about what had happened she knew it would be more beneficial to smooth things out with Jack before digging any deeper.

Demi was not oblivious to the signs being put off by her parents. From their interaction in the forest to the moment they'd left she felt seen a sudden shift in the way her parents acted around each other. While she'd seen their relationship go from hostile to pleasant in a short amount of time it was obvious to her now that something major had caused a wedge to be placed between them. It was even more apparent to her when she reentered the house, seeing her mother eye her with suspicion but otherwise say nothing in regards to it.

While she didn't have anything concrete to back up her hunch she was smart enough to know when two people were cross with one another. She didn't know exactly why. It probably had something to do with her mother's jealousy driven comments and attitude the other day, but she knew it would only make things more difficult for them if it persisted. While she knew it would be best if the two of them learned to work things out for themselves, she couldn't help but think that there might be something she could do to help push things along.

Instinctively her mind fell back to the exchange between Jack and Emma. Demi smiled to herself. It was perfect. While her mother hadn't been there to witness it she could at least fill her in and maybe even spice up the tale a little to add to its overall endearment. Granted her father had asked that she keep the incident to herself but his reasons for doing so were incredibly unfounded. While he didn't want news of his friends leaking out to rival hunters she knew no one among teams RWBY or JNPR would gossip about it. Not only that but Weiss was her mother, for goodness sake. It was her responsibility as her daughter to let her know just how generous and considerate a man Jack truly was.

"Three rooms please, one of them private," Jack said to the receptionist.

"You sure you're good to pay for that?" Demi asked, a small smirk forming on her face.

"Yes, I'm more than capable," Jack said, paying the receptionist without glancing at Demi.

"Really? With the way things have been going I'm almost afraid you might be spending more than you were prepared for."

"As I said, I'm more than capable of paying for our rooms as well as any other expenses we might encounter along the way," Jack replied, his annoyance evident in his voice.

"Jack, what does she mean?" Weiss asked out of concern.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"You sure. If you need help we can pitch in," Yang added.

"Yea, we can pull our own weight if we have to. We don't want to be a burden," Jaune commented.

"I said it's fine!" Jack said loudly.

Everyone nearly jumped out of their skin from Jack's sudden outburst. The receptionist stood motionless, holding the keys to their rooms aloft as she stared, intimidated, at Jack. Several of the Motel's patron's looked up from whatever they had been doing to stop and stare at their party. For a moment the air was heavy as they waited to see what Jack would do next. Without a word he snatched the room keys from the receptionist, shoved two of them into the hands of Jaune and Ruby, and began marching towards the front door.

"Where ae you going?" Demi called after him.

"To get a drink," Jack shot back.

The town which Jack had lead the others to was much larger than some of the others. Having built a rather sturdy wall which had managed to keep out the Grimm the people there prospered, utilizing various means of trade to build themselves up. As such they'd managed to elevate themselves to a point in which their town was an almost common tourist destination, an excellent place to retreat to with the family outside the hustle and bustle of Mistral. This meant that the town had more than one hotel, the most lavish and expensive of which stood along the southern region of the town, giving its occupants the best view of the valley.

It also catered to the wealthy and powerful, insuring that only the best of the best and worst could be found there. While he didn't show it Jack felt out of place the moment he entered the reception area. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the lobby looking down at him like a cockroach who'd intruded on their spotless kitchen. The receptionist himself was less concerned with hiding his disgust with Jack's appearance as his eyes narrowed the moment he approached the counter.

"I'm expected in room 763," Jack said, slipping the man the card he'd received only a few days prior.

"Ahh, I see. You're in luck then. The occupants have just returned. I'll call ahead and let them know you're on your way up."

"Thanks," Jack said curtly as he headed for the elevator.

"Quite the unusual taste they have," he heard the receptionist say.

"Come again?"

"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about. I was just commenting on some our guests more exotic tastes. They claimed the boy they have with them is their son but, well," he smirked, causing Jack to shiver from disgust, "who am I to question people's needs?"

"Right," Jack said, increasing his pace until he'd slipped into the elevator.

The elevator ride was quick and, thankfully, solitary. While he'd had an idea in regards to who had sent him the invitation, his little chat at the front desk had sent that theory out the window. His comment about the child made him wonder if perhaps Salem had sent one of her goons to try and persuade him to rejoin her efforts. He dismissed this idea, however, as he expected her to try something more elegant or direct. Before long the elevator reached the top floor and Jack maneuvered down the pristinely decorated hallway to the room. He knocked, hard, and waited for an answer.

Before long muffled footsteps could be heard from the other side before the door opened. Standing just a foot or so shorter than Jack was a young boy, dressed in an old shirt and overalls, and gazing up at him with olive green and brown eyes. For a moment the two starred at each other and Jack had the most peculiar feeling of deja vu, unable to place where he'd seen the boy once before.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked.

"Oscar, who's at the door?" a gruff and familiar voice called out. Without waiting for an answer Jack shoved his way past Oscar and strolled into the living room of the penthouse.

"Jack, you made it," Qrow said happily, approaching Jack to give him a warm hug. Jack answered in kind by crossing his arms, making it obvious that he was in no mood for pleasantries.

"Alright, alright, so you're in a mood," Qrow joked.

"That's putting it lightly. So, who else is here? Knowing you I can say that staying in this swanky hotel wasn't your idea."

"No, I wasn't," Qrow agreed.

"It was mine," a woman's voice said.

Jack glanced over to see Winter Schnee, dressed in her usual Atlas military uniform, appear from the bedroom. She stalked over to the couch before taking a seat with Qrow and Oscar the couch opposite hers. Jack opted to take the armchair situated between the two, enabling him to bounce back and forth between the conversation.

"You know, despite how intelligent and clever you are, Miss Schnee, your choice in accommodations is terrible to say the least."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The damn receptionist thought I was a call girl, or boy. Fuck it, he thought I was a prostitute!" Jack said, irritated.

Qrow didn't even try to hide his amusement as he doubled over from laughter. Winter's face was stoic, though Jack would have argued he saw the faintest hint of a smirk appear on her face. Oscar was quite, which Jack appreciated, but his face turned a bright pink. Obviously the boy was rather naïve in regards to the outside world.

"That's beautiful," Qrow managed to say, breathing heavily from laughing so hard.

"Whatever. I take there's a reason you called me up here? No offence but I find it rather off putting that you'd have a third party send the request rather than ask me in person. How'd you know where we were, anyway? I may not be perfect but I'm no novice when it comes to covering my tracks."

"I've had someone tailing since you left Mistral," Winter admitted.

"What, you don't trust me?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"No," Winter responded in a deadpan tone.

"Good girl," Jack said in retort, earning himself a nasty glare and sneer from Winter.

"Getting down to business, I take it you're aware of what's been happening in Atlas?"

"Who isn't? You'd have to be living under a rock to not know that shit's about to hit the fan over there."

Ignoring his comment Winter continued. "I've received word from some close family associates that my father has begun hiring private investigators and bounty hunters, such as yourself. Apparently my sister's departure from Atlas was something that my father was unaware of for some time."

"What she means is, her sister ran away from home and now dear old Dad is trying to drag her back without alerting the council, especially Ironwood. If he learned of Weiss' departure from Atlas without his prior consent it would mean dire consequences for the SDC."

"So what, you want me to turn her over to you? You do realize that would be a real conflict of interest for me, especially considering she's currently my employer?"

"On the contrary, I want to hire you out privately."

Jack straightened himself in his chair instinctively. Even Qrow had adopted a wary look. Apparently even he had been unaware of Winter's intentions.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to hire you on as a bodyguard for Weiss, someone who can keep her safe until I'm able to do something more for her."

"So let me get this straight, you want me to remain by her side, for how long?"

"As long as is needed."

"Alright, so lets just say indefinitely, just for shits and giggles. You do realize that your sister is more than capable of defending herself, right?"

"Of course, I trained her myself."

"And you want me to hang around her until its safe for her to return home to Atlas during which time I'm to dissuade anyone who might come looking for her from attempting to return home to Papa Schnee with her in tow."

"That's the general idea."

"I see. Well, in that case I have only one question," he said, fixing hi eyes on hers as he spoke. "Are you out of your fucking mind!?"

"Jack-!" she started.

"No! You're asking me to do the impossible. It's one thing to transport someone from point A to point B and protect them along the way. It's another thing entirely to act as their over embellished babysitter for the remainder of their life."

"It wouldn't be for their entire life! A year, at most, until everything has died down!" Winter argued.

"A year? A year? Honey, if you think it'll only be a year at most then you either lack faith in my abilities or you simply don't know your father as well as you think you do, Ironwood especially."

"I know the General better than you think. I trust him without question."

Unexpectedly, Jack burst into laughter. Winter glanced over at Qrow, shooting him a questioning look, but received only a shrug in response. It was a moment before Jack was able to calm himself down and by then Winter was thoroughly annoyed.

"You know," he began, "I don't what's more pathetic. The fact that you have such unflinching loyalty in a man who's too blinded by his own pride to realize that he's leading you all down a path from which Atlas my never recover or the fact that you do know it but insist on following his lead on the dismal hope that something good might eventually come of it."

"Jack, listen- "

"No, you listen!" Jack snapped. "You're obviously too wrapped up in your own superiority complex to realize just what the rest of us commoners see happening, so let me break it down for you. Ironwood's plan to save Atlas is going to be the means whereby it's destroyed, and not by its enemies but by itself, from within."

"It started in Vale. The moment your army was hacked, hijacked, it was clear you were ill-prepared to combat our enemies. Had he been smart Ironwood would have done something to remedy this. My suggestion would be to go back to the drawing board with your little tin soldiers. Instead he decides to cut off Remnants Dust supply. Now, I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure that doesn't send a very hospitable message."

"Second, he's closed your borders, making sure that no one can go in or out without his say so. Taking just these two factors into account anyone outside of Atlas would think that you're preparing for something, something that could very well send Remnant into a second great war. We're just waiting for Ironwood to slam that last nail into the coffin before he blows the whole powder keg."

"We are not preparing for war. We're simply trying to prevent any other disastrous events from happening," Winter argued.

"You really think the rest of Remnant sees it that way? You honestly think the people of Vale view Atlas' actions of hiding inside its shell like a damn turtle as an apology for all the lives lost because of your robotic soldiers?"

"It wasn't our fault!"

"Your robots, your responsibility. If you're going to put your symbol on their chassis you'd better be ready to take responsibility for their actions, regardless of whether or not you were in control of them. The fact is, Winter, a storm is coming. Our enemies are doing a damn good job of directing our attention towards each other so that, when shit does hit the fan, we'll be too busy fighting one another to see them pulling our strings like the puppet masters they are."

"As much as I respect you, admire you, I've found you to have been somewhat of a disappointment in recent times. You've spent your whole life trying to escape from your father's influence, a man whose actions were dictated by greed and lust for power, only to run straight into the arms of another man who's doing the exact same thing. Call me crazy but I'd say you're a glutton for punishment."

"How dare you speak of General Ironwood in that fashion!" Winter snapped.

"Why, because it's the truth? Let me ask you this then. Considering how great a man James is, why hasn't he one anything to start promoting Atlas' image of comradery? The man is the leader of your armies, the headmaster of your Huntsman Academy, and he holds two seats on the Atlas council. TWO! Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be three people on the council. The fact that he holds two of those seats tells me he has too much power. Before long he's going to be unstoppable and when you finally start to realize your mistake in putting so much faith in the man he'll have turned from General Ironwood to a modern day Warmonger."

"I don't have to sit hear and listen to this atrocity," Winter hissed, standing up to leave the room. As she headed towards the bedroom Jack called out to her.

"Winter, one moment please. I have another reason for not taking the bodyguard job."

"And what would that be?" she hissed.

"I won't be around much longer to fulfill my duty," he said matter-of-factly.

Jack's calm attitude and serious tone caused both Winter and Qrow to look at him quizzically. They exchanged glances before looking at Jack once more. While they had never really known the young man to joke about dying part of them wanted it to be some sick humor he'd come up with. Unfortunately, they could see from the look in his eyes that he was dead serious.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, after I complete this job for your sister I have another job to do, one that's more personal. Call it a vendetta, if you will. Fact is I don't plan on coming back from it."

"So you're denying my request simply to sate your need for revenge against someone else?"

"If I succeed, I can guarantee it'll help Remnant out in the long run."

"What do you mean?" Qrow asked.

"I can't go into detail but, I can assure you both, whether I succeed or fail this will be one of the last times we see each other again."

"Seems unlike you, Jack. I thought you had more reason than anyone to keep on living?" Qrow said.

"Yes, well, we all have to die sometime, don't we? Fact is, when you take on the profession I did, you have to come to terms with the fact that you will more than likely die young than grow old."

"In that case why don't we come to a compromise?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Winter wants you to protect her sister and you won't be around for much longer, so how about this? You protect for her for as long as you are able, up until you depart this world. That does come with the understanding, however, that you may be living longer than you intend."

"Alright, I can live with that," Jack said with a smirk.

"Winter?" Qrow said, glancing up at her.

"Fine," she said, reaching onto her jacket and withdrawing a large envelope before tossing it to Jack.

"By the way," Jack said as he started to get up, "I know you may want to keep our little meeting here hush hush but, all things considered, I think its best if I inform Weiss of what you hired me to do. Seems only fair that I have a viable excuse for why I'll be hanging around her for a while."

"Very well," Winter said. "Do what you think is best."

 **Anima Hotel – Weiss**

"So, what was up with you and Jack?" Nora asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? One minute you guys were friends and the next minute you're being all snippy with him."

"Yea Weiss, you haven't acted like that since our first year at Beacon," Ruby pointed out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Weiss said, attempting to weasel out of the conversation.

"Really? From what I saw I'd almost go so far as to say you were jealous," Demi said.

Weiss' face turned a bright pink. In response Demi smiled a wide grin, victorious. Ruby and Yang both gasped, surprised and amused at Weiss' reaction. Immediately the young heiress attempted to shield her face from her friends but the damage had been done.

"You were jealous?" Ruby blurted out.

"I guess something happened between you and Jack that you haven't told us about," Yang prodded.

"Nothing happened. All we did was talk," Weiss said defensively.

"Was that in-between breaths?" Yang asked, making kissy faces as she spoke.

Weiss' face turned a deep red at this point and the girls squealed with delight. Weiss, on the other hand, was mortified. It wasn't simply what they'd said that had her on edge but rather that their implications were dangerously close to the truth. She had been jealous, that was for sure, but she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"I swear, you're all such children. All we did was talk, that's it."

"Then why were you acting so strangely when he was around Emma?" Demi asked.

"Yea, she is a married woman, after all. You really think Jack is the type of guy to have an affair with the wife of his friend?" Yang pointed out.

"Of course not. I was just… on edge," she said.

"That's just another way of saying you were afraid she was encroaching on your territory," Demi said.

"Well, I did hire him," Weiss said.

"So you're saying you own him?"

"No, I'm saying her works for me."

"Meaning, he's your man."

"Exactly," Weiss blurted out and immediately regretted her words when she saw the devilish grin on Demi's face. "So what was with your comment earlier?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.

"What about?" Demi replied, finding her mother's attempts fruitless though equally amusing.

"You mentioned that Jack might have trouble paying for our expenses. How did you know this?"

"Oh, um," Demi said, taken aback by her Weiss' clever counter attack.

"Yea, now that you mention it I did notice you and Jack walking back inside together. What were you two doing?" Nora asked with her own devilish smile.

"Nothing, of course," Demi said quickly, her heart sinking a little as Weiss narrowed her eyes at her. "In fact, its more about what I overheard."

"Oh, this is getting good," Nora said excitedly.

"What was it about?" Ruby inquired, curious.

Demi's eyes shifted around the room. While she'd planned to tell Weiss about Jack's generosity she had hoped to keep it between them and leave everyone else ignorant. Now, however, she found herself pressed up against a wall with little room to maneuver out of it. Coming to terms with the fact that she would have to sacrifice some level of trust with Jack to insure her own escape she sighed tiredly.

"I saw him and Emma outside, talking about Coal. Apparently his condition was brought on by excessive strain from working several back to back shifts at the mine."

"What! Why?" Weiss asked, her irritation giving way to concern.

"They needed the money. They've been taking the extra Lien from his overtime and putting it away to help send their son to Haven Academy when he's old enough."

A cold, empathetic mood fell over the girls as soon as she'd spoken. Weiss herself was both heartbroken and moved by the thought. To think Coal would push himself to such extremes to insure his son's own future. The very concept was a foreign one to her. All she'd ever known from her father was the life he wanted her to live, the image he wanted her to project, the profits and advantages he could attain from making her his perfect puppet.

Considering the lengths Jack had gone to in order to help his ailing friend it was no surprise that the man had managed to piece it all together. He'd even gone out of his way to provide them with the means to insure the disease was staved off. Still, she wondered if it would be enough.

"What did he do?" she asked.

"He talked to her, told her he knew what was going on. Once she explained their situation Jack gave her the money he'd received as payment for this job. She tried to refuse but he wouldn't hear of it. He said it was to insure that Coal would at least be around to see his son become a Huntsman."

If there was ever a moment for Weiss to feel guilty it was now. Her overall attitude, coupled with the weight of his dying friend and his desire to help, must have made things rather difficult for Jack. Weiss could already feel tears of shame beginning to form but she wiped them away before they had a chance. Without another word she headed for the door, intent on searching every bar in the town until she found him and apologized.

"Weiss, where are you going?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"To find Jack," she said.

Just as she opened the door and stepped out she slammed into a large, fleshy barrier blocking her path. She cried out in alarm before looking up to see none other than Jack himself standing in the doorway. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Jack himself looked quite surprised as he stood in the doorway, his hand still raised in the act of knocking.

"You alright, Miss Schnee?" he asked, not so much out of concern but rather courtesy.

"Um, yes, I'm fine. Actually, I was on my way to find you," she admitted.

"That's perfect. There's actually something I need to discuss with you," he said. Weiss perked up, somewhat elated that he wanted to talk with her, if for nothing else than to chastise her about how she'd been acting lately, only to have her heart sink as he finished, "with all of you. Stay here while I go get the boys."

Everyone sat in silent contemplation as Jack finished his explanation of recent events. Skipping over some of the more disturbing parts, and greatly reducing the intensity of his argument with Winter, he informed them of what had been going in Atlas as well as the situation that now plagued Weiss. While no one had said it they all knew the journey ahead had just become that much more difficult. What they had assumed would be a simple return to Vale would in fact become hampered by various other characters, all out to make a profit off of Weiss.

"So, what do we do?" Jaune asked, breaking the silence.

"We continue forward, stay off the main roads. With any luck we'll avoid most of the unwanted attention but we'll eventually have to venture into a much more heavily populated area, one with an airship that can take us to Vale. It'll be very difficult to leave without being tailed by one or two hunters."

"Right, an airship," Jaune groaned, his stomach churning in dreadful anticipation for what awaited them.

"You sure you can protect Weiss along the way?" Demi asked out of concern.

"Don't underestimate my abilities. A rat can always smell the scent of another rat. If there are any bounty hunters in area, I'll know of them and they'll know me."

"You say that like you expect us to me pursued by veterans," Demi pointed out.

"Absolutely. I was told to expect the best and, knowing Jacques Schnee, he'll only hire the best to retrieve his daughter."

"If they do make a move they'll have all of us to contend with," Yang said as she slammed her fist into the palm of her hand in a show of strength.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Jack said. "I'm going to get some rest. I suggest you do the same. Our journey ahead is going to be much more difficult from this point forward."

Jack was up and out the door as everyone took a moment to think on his words. He himself was deep in thought. Considering his conversation with Winter, he'd honestly felt almost elated to know she wanted him to stay by her sister's side. He didn't know why, or rather he didn't want to admit it to himself. He knew he wanted to take a stab at Salem, to leave an ever lasting impression that would remind her of the one man who had defied her more than anyone else. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder why it made his heart ache when, at one point, it had made it burn.

The moment Winter had asked him to protect her sister, indefinitely if necessary, he felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. It surprised him, to know he would feel so excited to maintain a presence around a woman who had been very inconsistent with her treatment of him personally. While he had reasoned within himself that staying near her would only prove to be detrimental to his overall goal. Part of him hated himself for it but he knew it was true. Weiss would only hold him back in the end.

"Jack," he heard her say. For a moment he assumed it was his own thoughts wrestling with his feelings but soon realized that Weiss was indeed standing behind him.

"Yes, Miss Schnee," he said flatly.

"May we speak privately?" she asked.

Jack cocked an eyebrow, surprised by her request until he noticed her eyes shift back towards her room. Hiding just out of sight he could see both blond and auburn strands of hair as well as hear the muffled gossip coming from her roommates. Jack nodded his consent, allowing Weiss to lead the way before following her inside his room. As soon as they entered Weiss moved to the living space, keeping her gaze averted from Jack out of silent guilt.

"Jack I- "she began but chocked on her words as they came out. His cold, piercing stare made her feel small. It was made even more intimidating by the dim light in the room, allowing her to see the gray irises that she had once found beautiful to be quite unfeeling at the moment.

"Jack, I don't want to keep doing this," she admitted.

"Doing what?" he asked, confused.

"Fighting with you, apologizing, starting over on the right foot before stumbling back into old habits and ending up right where we began. It's not a good image for an employer to have," she said, the word tasting vile as she spoke.

"No, it isn't," Jack said, adding gravity to her statement. "So, what do you want to do about it."

"I think it's best if we end things here and now. You've fulfilled your contract. You're no longer under any obligation to escort us to Vale."

Jack looked at Weiss with genuine surprise. He hadn't expected her to say this. Before he could speak Weiss reached into the small handbag she kept with her and pulled out a small envelope before handing it to Jack. He took it, hoping she wouldn't notice his hands shaking, knowing exactly what its contents were.

"As promised, there is the rest of your fee. Our debt is settled. You're free to go, if you wish."

"True, however I still have an obligation to fulfill the contract I only recently made with your sister. Even if I wanted to leave I'm still bound by my word to her."

"No, you're not. I'll speak with Winter the next time I see her and explain that I let you go. You won't have to worry about upsetting her or staining your reputation."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that I've been paid," he argued.

"Consider it a gift for a job well done."

"I- I see," Jack said, somehow surprised at how disheartened and disappointed he felt.

"However, there is one thing I wish to ask of you," Weiss said.

"And what would that be," Jack asked, feeling himself already reverting back to a callus attitude.

"I'd like you to continue traveling with us, as a friend."

Jack's mouth hung open, taken aback by what she'd said. In the dim light Weiss silently thanked her good fortune that it was too dark for him to notice her cheeks turning pink. Jack was silent for a long while, giving her offer some serious thought. He honestly hadn't expected something like this to happen. It was quite unexpected and even a little welcoming.

"You're serious about this?" he asked.

"Of course. We would- I would greatly appreciate having you along with us," she admitted. "Also, it may help to prevent me from feeling jealous."

"Jealous?" Jack asked, confused.

"Yes. When we were at your friend Coal's I… may have been a little jealous of your familiarity with his wife Emma. Having been your employer at the time I may have found your interactions threatening, on a completely professional level, of course."

"Of course," Jack agreed with a smirk.

"So, will you be joining us for the rest of the journey?" Weiss asked eagerly.

"I suppose so," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "After all, I was the one who brought you all out this way. Seems only fair that I should accompany you the rest of the way. Besides, I've got nowhere else to go at the moment. I'll continue on with you until Vale and see what happens then."

"Good to know," Weiss said with a warm smile. "Well, I guess I should go inform the others."

"You can do that in the morning. Right now I think it's best if we all get some rest."

"Of course. Pleasant dreams Jack."

"You as well, Weiss," he said, smiling as he watched he walk out the door.

 **85 P.G.W. – Salem's Castle – Salem**

Salem watched with obvious satisfaction as Tyrian tore through the numerous Grimm she dispatched into the training room. With each successful wave that he decimated the Scorpion grew bolder, wilder as he dove into the hordes of murderous creatures. While the Grimm were themselves attracted to fear they could sense none from the fanus. Still, they could understand when their lives were in danger and, obeying the commands of their mistress, they swarmed Tyrian in an attempt to overpower him. However, their efforts proved futile as he tore through them like bloodied tissue paper, leaving their corpses to smolder and evaporate into a thick black mist.

"Well done, Tyrian," Salem praised.

"Thank you, my Goddess. I live to serve and please you," he said, bowing low before her.

Overhead his tail flicked excitedly back and forth, it's newest addition gleaming in the dim light of the candles. Watts, being a well known and talented engineer in Atlas, had created a new attachment for Tyrian to replace his stinger. On the end of his tail had been fixed a large pincer like appendage, the blades of which were serrated for maximum lethality. The pincers clicked open and closed as Tyrian tested his control over the new augmentation. It had been less than a week and already it acted like a natural part of his body.

"Will you be sending me out to retrieve the girl?" he asked in excited anticipation.

"No, I have a much more poetic task for you to perform," Salem said. "The girl and her friends are headed towards Vale. In a few days they'll be passing through a small town. I'll be sending some Grimm to that area to wipe out its inhabitants and send a message to an old ally of ours. You will meet him further down the road and offer him to join me at my side once more."

"What if her refuses?"

"Make him come home, Tyrian," she said sternly, "However, if the battle proves too much for you, I want you to return to my side. That man has proved to be useful tool. Better that you destroy his reputation than his body."

"Of course, my Goddess. Your will shall be done."

 **One more short chapter, I think, and then I'll be starting on a two part expect showdown for Jack. The story will see him returning home and facing the demons that await him there.**

 **Honestly, after the next few chapters, we'll be getting close to the end of this half of the story. Once this one is complete then I'll start work on Child of Light and Darkness Pt.2. That being said I'm really excited to hear what you think of the story so far and what you want to see happen later on.**

 **I've been giving some thought on doing some other RWBY related fanfics. I have a few crossover stories in mind. I'll be sure to let you know what my ideas and and to get your opinions of them soon.**

 **Until next time RWBY fans.**


	11. Chapter 10: Homeward Bound

**Homeward Bound**

 **85 P.G.W. – Schnee Manor – Jacque Schnee**

"What do you mean you haven't located her yet?" Jacque roared into his scroll.

"I didn't say we hadn't found her yet. What I said was that we had a general idea but there are some complications," the bounty hunter said.

"Like what?"

"She's traveling with a group of young huntsmen and huntresses. Not to mention I've heard rumors that she's also being accompanied by Jack Brisbane."

"Why should that matter? Your professionals, do your job."

"You obviously don't know too much about Jack, do you Mr. Schnee?"

"I've hired the man in the past to perform some off the books jobs but no, I never cared to learn about the lives of those I employee."

"Then let me put this in a way you'll understand. If you want me to go toe to toe with Jack Brisbane, then I want to be paid an additional hazard fee."

"You what?" Jacque roared in protest.

"Either that or we scrap this job entirely, and I don't give refunds, unless you want old Ironhide to know of your off the books operation."

"Fine," Jacque said, "I'll wire you the Lien after you confirm you have my daughter in custody."

"Excellent. Happy to being doing business with you," he said with a creepy smile.

* * *

 **85 P.G.W. – Anima – Jack**

The bounty hunter clicked off his scroll before smirking to his companions. Both men were burley and muscular but subsequently were drowning their unease in alcohol. While they out numbered Jack three to one they had no intention of confronting him face to face. The plan was simple; get in, get the girl, get out. If they were quick and quiet they'd be gone by morning with no one the wiser as to their whereabouts.

Rising from their seats they ascended the stairs, their hearts beating in unison in anticipation of what was to come. Before long they stood outside the young heiress' room, none of them making a sound. The lead hunter kneeled down, pulling a set of tools from his jacket as he subtly picked the lock. It was effortless and before long they were inside.

Being late in the night the room was dark with only the light from the moon outside to illuminate the interior. Each of the men looked around the room, noticing the one untouched bed beside its partner that was obviously occupied.

"I thought you said she was traveling with some friends?" one of the men whispered fiercely.

"She's a spoiled brat. No doubt she wanted a room to herself," his companion replied.

They smiled, realizing things might be easier than they'd expected. As they approached the bed each man took a side. They wanted to make sure the girl had no chance of escape and with all of them pouncing on her she'd be hard pressed to overpower them. Giving one another a silent signal the lead hunter pounced on their prey, expecting her to start squirming and attempt to cry out but felt no resistance. Puzzled, he pulled back the sheet to find a bed full of pillows starring up at him.

"What the hell? Where's the girl?" one of the men blurted, throwing caution to the wind.

In response they heard the door to the room slam shut, causing all of them to jump in surprise. The floor boards creaked noisily under the weight of a pair of heavy boots as a figure strode into the light. He was dressed in black from head to foot, with skin as pale as a corpse, wearing a pair of sunglasses that made his eyes look like two black pits ready to engulf them. In his hands were two razor sharp daggers whose blades gleamed brilliantly in the moonlight. The men all felt their blood run could, whatever courage they'd had leaving them instantly.

"Good evening gentlemen," Jack said cheerfully, "So nice of you to drop in."

* * *

Weiss, along with the rest of teams RWBY and JNPR, had rushed to the room where Jack had been staying. Not moments before they'd heard a commotion before a man cried out and went eerily silent. They obviously expected the worst and rushed in, expecting to engage some unwanted intruders who had decided to assault Jack while he slept.

Jaune was the first to arrive with Ruby and Weiss close on his heals. Demi entered shortly after, her sword already drawn, but quickly felt the urge to fight leave her as soon as she saw the scene. Three men lay splayed out on the floor. They showed slight bruising on their persons, with one them sporting a black eye and another a bloody nose. What's more they each had a small cut on their arms, showcasing they had been grazed by a blade but their cuts weren't deep enough to warrant attention. Instead the men lay breathing deeply, their breaths shallow with half-open eyes. Whatever had taken place had ended with her father being victorious as the man showed no signs of having been hurt.

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"They picked a fight they couldn't win," Jack replied. "I've already called the local authorities. They'll be by to pick up the trash. In the mean time I suggest we speak with whomever sent them," he said, waving a scroll he'd taken off of their leader.

"What did you do to them?" Demi questioned, concerned for their unusual appearances.

"Nothing permanent. I coated my daggers in a potent but nonlethal neurotoxin. They'll be unable to move for the next hour or so. By the time it wears off they'll be spending the night at the county jail."

Without another word Jack lead the way out of the room and into one of the adjoining accommodations. While he was no longer under Weiss' employee he still acted in a professional manner, something that both impressed and disturbed the rest of the group. That morning he had suggested they stay one more night despite having told them they'd leave in the morning. He later asked Weiss to switch rooms with him, giving her little in the way of details until she conceded. Now they had some idea as to why he'd switched rooms but they were still in the dark.

Once inside Ruby's room he waited patiently for everyone to gather before placing the scroll on a small table. Opening up the menu he went into the recent calls and dialed the latest number. As it rang he placed a finger over his lips, a sign for everyone to remain quiet for the time being. The scroll rang twice before it was picked up and an authoritative voice came over the other end.

"I assume you're calling to tell me you have my daughter in hand?" Jacque's voice came through.

Weiss flinched almost instinctively, recognizing her father's voice. Jack remained quiet, giving each person a hard look that said to remain quiet while he took control.

"Hello? Are you listening to me? Do you have my daughter or not?" he asked irritably from the other end.

"I would have assumed that a man of your caliber would have hired the best and not the mediocre," Jack said. Yang smiled in response to this and Demi couldn't help but smirk as well. Only Weiss remained stoic, determined to learn of her father's involvement in this plot.

"Jack Brisbane," he said.

"So you do remember me. I'm flattered," Jack said, half joking.

"What do you want?"

"What I want is unimportant. What your daughter wants, on the other hand, takes precedence." Weiss gave Jack a quizzical look but he merely held up his hand, gesturing her to wait until the end.

"And what does she want?" Jacque said in a condescending manner.

"Simply put, for you to call off your hounds. Leave her alone and I'll leave you alone."

"Then you tell her no. She is my daughter and I won't stand to be disobeyed in such an unruly manner. She is to come home immediately!"

"Well then, Jacque, it seems we have a conflict of interest. You want your daughter home where you can keep here locked away like a prisoner and under your thumb and she wants to live her life. This is especially problematic for me considering I've been hired to insure she stays out of your grasp for as long as possible. So you can obviously see how this places me in a precarious situation."

"I don't give a damn how inconvenienced you might be by this. You will return my daughter to me this instant!"

"No, Jacque, I don't think I will. In fact, you're going to call each and everyone of the men you've hire because I don't have enough patience to leave them tied up for the local authorities to deal with."

"You bastard! How dare you speak to me in such a manner!" Jacque roared.

At her whit's end from listening to her father continue to throw his weight around Weiss made to grab the scroll and start berating her father alongside Jack. She was too slow, however, as Jack snatched it up, holding it level with his face as a serious expression took hold.

"You listen very carefully, Jacque, because I'm only going to say this once. Either you call off your men or the next time one of them makes an attempt to kidnap Weiss I will personally come down to Atlas, waltz into your office and have some words with you face to face. Doubtless you will agree that, after I'm finished, you will leave your daughter alone. Have I made myself clear?"

There was a moment of silence from everyone, including Jacque. Weiss looked at Jack, both impressed and mortified by how he had spoken to her father. Jack made no indication that he noticed and instead waited patiently for him to respond. It was a while longer before his voice came through the other end, a slight tremble in his tone.

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

"Excellent," Jack said in an overly cheery voice. "Have a wonderful night," and with that hung up the scroll.

"You knew, didn't you, that we were being followed," Demi said the moment he placed the scroll back on the table.

"Yes," he said.

"For how long?" Weiss asked.

"Since this morning," he admitted as he took a seat. "I overheard them when I was out shopping. At first I thought nothing of it but when some of their speech included words such as the girl and Atlas I decided to do some more digging. It wasn't hard for me to discover that they were working for your father."

"I see," Weiss said in distain. She was obviously mad about the lengths her father was going to in order to bring her home. Doubtless he would continue to try and force her hand in spite of Jack's threat.

"Why not asked us for out help? Why keep us in the dark?" Jaune questioned.

"For a couple reasons. First, I'm not at all familiar with your skills and prowess in battle. Also, considering how small a space it was in that room we would have had a difficult time overtaking them without someone getting injured. It was easier and simpler for me to go in alone."

"Yes but you weren't required to. Weiss released you from your contract, remember?" Ruby pointed out.

"Don't friends protect one another?" Jack countered.

"They don't heedlessly put their lives on the line," Jaune said, his intense gaze hiding more than he was willing to admit.

"True, however that leads into my second point. None of you are officially huntsman and these were veteran Bounty Hunters. Unlike the Grimm you've faced at the academy they won't go easy on you. Aside from Weiss all of you are expendable to them."

"So, what now? Are we just supposed to continue on expecting we won't run into more of these guys?" Yang asked, irritated.

"No, actually I have reason to believe that our original route maybe compromised. I think it's best if we change course. Jaune, the map if you please."

Jaune nodded in agreement and retrieved the map before handing it off to Jack. Spreading it over the table they took a gander at the available options. With how far they'd come from Mistral the known safe routes were extremely limited. Jack immediately discarded the major routes as well as some of the more questionable roads. He also pointed out areas that were known to have bandits or towns which were nothing more than ruins at this point.

"What about here?" Ruby asked, pointing to a medium size town.

"The name's been lined through. Is it even there?" Nora asked.

"It is, unfortunately," Jack said, mumbling the last word under his breath.

"It does seem like our best option," Ren added.

"So we're all in agreement then?" Ruby asked.

Everyone voiced their agreement except for Jack. He said nothing in protest but the look in his eyes told Weiss he wasn't happy about traveling there. He remained silent as he folded up the map and went to speak to the authorities who'd been sent to retrieve the hunters. Once they were gone, however, she immediately cornered him in the hallway.

"Something's up with you. What is it?"

"It's nothing," he said, attempting to brush off the subject.

"Don't lie to me. I could read your face like a book. What' really bothering you."

"You really want to know?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she said eagerly.

"That town we're headed to… I was born there."

"You mean we're headed to your home?" Weiss asked, surprised.

"I wouldn't describe it in that fashion. I haven't considered it a home for years. I haven't even been there since I left."

"Oh, I see," she said, saddened a little by how he spoke.

"The less time we spend there the better," Jack said and disappeared into his room.

* * *

 **Anima – Demi**

Once again Jack was quiet, real quiet, and Demi had no clue as to why. She did know that Weiss had spoken to him only moments after their encounter with the rival bounty hunters but she sensed no tension between them. Usually she'd see this as a positive point but, considering how flighty he had been mentally, she opted to consider that something else was bothering him, something he had yet to share with the group. She decided to ask him the moment they had some time to rest.

Before long the forest began to grow dark and the group set up camp for the night. While no one was comfortable with sleeping outside it couldn't be helped. As everyone sat around the campfire pleasantly chatting Jack maintained a far off look, his eyes gazing through the fire before him as his mind wandered elsewhere.

"So, Jack, what are your thoughts on our destination? Seeing as you've been around these parts I'd assume you might know something about this place," Demi started off, attempting to word her question in a more natural fashion.

"Nothing to say. Normal town, normal people."

"That doesn't give us much to go on," she said.

Jack sighed, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing. "The people there aren't exactly friendly to strangers. They'll invite you in, share a drink or two, but you are by no means one of them. The people living there are descendants of the original settlers, which isn't much considering its only been about three or four generations worth of people. They're real religious nuts too. Anything that contradicts their beliefs is often removed or destroyed without hesitation."

"Guess we can expect a warm welcome," Yang joked.

"Few years back they built a wall. Not as strong as most but sturdy enough to keep out the Grimm. My advice, we stay a night to rest and resupply before moving on, like we usually do. Any longer than that could result in us becoming unwelcome very fast."

"I take it you've been there once or twice," Demi inquired.

"Once, and it was a long time ago."

"What happened?" she asked.

Jack's gaze shifted from the fire to Demi. They held a look of suspicion, as if he knew exactly what she was playing at. Demi leaned back a little, her instincts telling her to back off. It was obvious she was treading on a subject Jack wanted nothing to do with yet she couldn't help but dig a bit deeper.

"They made it perfectly clear I was unwelcome among their society. I left. Promptly. I haven't been back since."

Before she could ask anything else Jack rose from his seat and began walking into the woods around their campsite.

"Where are you going?" Demi called out.

"Patrolling the area," he replied.

"I'll come with you," she offered, rising from her spot.

"No, thank you, but I'll be fine on my own." His tone, while neutral, denoted his desire to be alone. He was obviously going into the forest to do more than keep a look out for Grimm.

"So, did anyone else find that a bit weird?" Nora asked out of the blue.

"Yea, real weird," Yang commented.

"I don't know. Jack did mention once before that he didn't have a good relationship with the people of his village. May be he feels the same way about these villagers as well?" Ruby pointed out.

"I wonder what could have happened to leave him with such adverse feelings towards it?" Jaune questioned.

"Whatever it is, we should let him tell us ourselves rather than pry it from him. People have various reasons for wanting to forget their pasts. I know I did," Ren said, feeling Nora's warm hand on his own as she smiled sympathetically. "We should let it happen naturally."

Everyone nodded in agreement but that didn't leave Demi satisfied. She was learning so much about her father yet there was so much more about him was a mystery to her. She felt as if she was being locked out of an important part of who he was. She couldn't help but wonder if the things he kept hidden were really all that bad. What had happened to make him so cynical, so guarded, that he would avoid the subject completely?

* * *

 **Anima Forest – Jack**

Jack wondered aimlessly through the forest, avoiding most of the trees and shrubbery simply by chance. It wasn't that Demi's constant probing into his past was bothering him, rather, it was the fact that he was returning home after having avoided it for so long that made him feel so uneasy. Now when he reflected on the recent nightmares he'd been having it all started to make sense. It was almost as if his subconscious instinctively knew that their path would eventually lead back to the beginning.

Nearly two decades of avoiding it, even after his parents died, and he still wanted to simply turn around and go in the opposite direction. He doubted anyone would recognize him. Sure his skin was the same bone white paler it had been as a child but he'd changed in so many different ways it would be nearly unthinkable for anyone to even mistake him for someone they knew. That and the people there had a habit of ignoring anything they didn't like. Thankfully this may also include him, at least he hoped it did.

Before long Jack had made a wide berth around the campsite. He had somehow managed to stay within sight of the campfires light while also going out far enough to warrant caution. Now, with how late it was becoming, he decided it might be best to head back. He walked slowly, taking his time as he collected his thoughts and formulated a plan of attack for when they entered the town, when he heard a strange voice calling out from the trees.

At first he couldn't quite make it out but as he drew closer it became apparent that it was a woman's voice. The more he walked towards it the more he was able to distinguish it as a girl's voice calling out a man's name, familiar but not his own. What's more she sounded as if she was giving instructions before trailing off into something personal. When Jack was close enough to see he found Jaune, armored up and sword in hand, practicing in a clearing. Nestled against a tree was his propped up scroll with the video of a young woman playing on repeat.

Jack immediately recognized her as Pyrrha Nikos. While he'd never met the young woman in person he did have the chance to attend one of her matches while in Mistral. Like many others he was greatly impressed by her skill and prowess in battle, though he always had a way of noting her general lack of experience when it came to actual combat. Listing to the spectators they squawked about how she was destined to become the greatest huntress that ever lived but Jack disagreed. Sure she was a prodigy, but just because someone had a natural gift for combat didn't mean they'd be able to hold their own in a real life or death situation. Sadly, he knew he had been right in this regard.

Jack watched intently as Jaune continued his training. He stayed hidden in the shadows, analyzing the boy's movements. He was good, real good, but there was something else that was painfully obvious. The boy's actions, along with his facial expressions, were all very angry and aggressive. No doubt he was training not so much as a means to hone his skills but to seek retribution. Who knew they had something in common.

"Not bad," Jack said, making his presence known.

Jaune faltered mid-swing, bringing his sword slicing through the air towards Jack's face. In a move too quick for him to register Jack had unsheathed one of his daggers and brought it up to meet his blade, halting its progress with little effort on his part. Jaune starred at him in amazement, more so for the fact that he had managed to block his attack so easily rather than his hazardous faltering.

"Your form could use some work, though," Jack continued, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry," Jaune said, his posture showing a mixture of embarrassment from being found out as well as being so easily subdued.

"Don't be. Honestly I'm rather impressed. Not many huntsmen your age practice with such passion. You mind if I spare with you?"

"I'd prefer to practice on my own," Jaune replied.

"I've noticed, however, training on your own has a tendency to embed your flaws and mistakes too deeply to over come. Eventually they'll turn into an obvious weakness. Sparring with a partner, on the other, will help to smooth them out. Besides, I might give you just a good a work out as she did," Jack said, motioning to Jaune's now paused scroll video.

"How did you?"

"It was pretty obvious. The fact that she calls you by name can only mean that you two were close."

Jaune's gaze shifted uneasily to the ground. While he'd grown a great deal at Beacon he was still easy to read, especially to strangers. It was a flaw he greatly detested.

"So, what do you say? A little practice, just to give you a few pointers?" Jack offered.

Jaune considered it for a moment before nodding his approval. He knew it would be better than training all by himself and it might help him to get his mind off of Pyrrha for a while.

"Ready whenever you are," Jack said, unsheathing his second dagger and bringing it to bear.

Jaune took a stance, waiting for Jack to move. The man stood stalk still, measuring him with his gaze. His icy blue eyes made him feel uneasy, especially with how dark it was. After a moment Jaune decided to take a chance. Perhaps he could end the training more quickly and get back to the others before they noticed his absence? Charging at Jack he took measure of his opponent and put a good deal of power into his frontal strike.

"So, about Pyrrha," Jack said out of the blue.

Jaune faltered, caught off guard by his nonchalant comment. Mentally unbalanced he watched as Jack ducked under his strike before bringing the hilt of his rightmost dagger to bear against his chest. Jaune felt the weight of his attack even through his thick armor before slamming hard on his ass onto the wet ground. He groaned, feeling both his ass and pride throbbing.

"First lesson, don't let yourself get distracted. You become unbalanced in any way and you'll leave yourself open for an attack," Jack instructed.

Jaune nodded his understanding, recalling a similar lesson from Pyrrha, albeit one that didn't end on such a painful note. Jaune readied himself, mentally preparing for another underhanded trick. He expected Jack to try something similar but not right away. He'd probably be able to get in a few swings before Jack attempted another mental attack but he would be ready.

Not waiting like before Jaune began his assault. Just as he predicted Jack didn't say a word. He kept on the defensive, allowing his blades to redirect Jaune's sword away from himself as he danced around the boy. While he was focused on defeating his opponent he was mentally preparing for Jack's next attack.

"Jaune!" he heard someone say.

Once more Jaune stumbled, this time straight into Jack's waiting grasp. In a single fluid movement Jack used the boy's own momentum to flip him up over his shoulder before slamming him down on his back. Jaune felt all the air in his lungs erupt in a single moment, leaving him struggling for air. Jaune didn't know what had happened. He had been watching Jack intently but the man never said a word. What's more the voice had sounded familiar but it wasn't from any of the girls traveling with them.

Looking over to his scroll he saw the video of Pyrrha, her mouth opened in the act of speaking. Off to the side the sound bar was pushed to full volume and in the dim light of the screen he could make out the form of a small insect scuttling away from the device. His gaze slowly shifted back to Jack whose own features were stoic. He'd been tricked again and this time he hadn't foreseen it.

"Like I said, don't get distracted," Jack repeated, a small smirk crossing his lips for only a moment.

Jaune leapt to his feet, his anger and irritation rising. _Alright_ he thought to himself _he wants to play hard ball; we'll play hard ball_. Now more focused than ever Jaune began circling Jack, looking for an opening. Jack could sense Jaune's intent and a part of him reeled from excitement. It had been a while since he'd had a challenge. The boy could prove to be quite entertaining.

Faking a strike to his midsection Jaune struck causing Jack to duck in response. He followed up with a shield charge, hoping to knock him to the ground. Jack saw this immediately and rolled out of the way of his incoming attack. As soon as he came out of it he turned to face Jaune and found the young huntsman already facing him with his shield up. Jack smiled, pleased that the boy was proving to be more of a challenge than he'd first anticipated.

They continued on for quite some time, Jaune making critical strikes at Jack while the bounty hunter managed to narrowly escape or parry the attack. The more they fought the more Jack felt himself letting go, opening himself up to the adrenaline of battle. It was an exhilarating experience, feeling his blood coursing through him a mile a minute. It was an addictive high but a small part of his mind called out in warning. He was dipping to much into his bloodlust, his battle high. He needed to come down from it or else he'd risk losing a piece of himself.

In response Jack waited until Jaune made a forward thrust at him. Jack narrowly ducked out of the way, feeling the cold blade graze against his aura, before closing the gap between them. Jaune was unprepared for this and before he could move out of the way Jack had swept himself around to his, gripping his chest tightly with one arm while the other held a dagger dangerously close to his neck.

Jaune had to resist the urge to swallow. While he trusted Jack to not cut him he didn't trust his body to make a rather unfortunate involuntary movement. What's more, if Jaune recalled correctly, Jack had laced his daggers with a strong neurotoxin which he'd used on the bounty hunters earlier that day. He didn't know how often Jack cleaned the blades but he wasn't willing to take that chance.

"You're very good. I can see she taught you well."

"Thanks," Jaune said nervously as Jack released him from his grip. "How did you know Pyrrha trained me?"

"I didn't. I was only guessing and you gave me some vital intel," Jack said with a smirk.

Jaune mentally kicked himself, wondering how Jack had managed to play him so easily.

"I take it she was your partner in Beacon?"

"You don't know?" Jaune said, testing to see if it was another trap.

"I'm only asking," Jack confessed.

"Yes, we were. She helped me overcome a lot of my shortcomings during that time," Jaune said, recalling some of the good memories he had from those days. Reflecting on them now he realized that there were so many signs pointing to how Pyrrha felt about him. Of course he'd been so focused on gaining Weiss' affections that he'd been completely oblivious to her own. He hated himself for having been so stupid, so selfish.

"Terrible what happened to her," Jack commented.

"Yea, it was," Jaune agreed, remembering how hard it was to accept the fact that she was gone forever.

"Not surprising though. Kid took on more than she could handle. She was foolish to take on that woman, Cinder I think it was, all on her own."

"Wait, what do you mean? Pyrrha wasn't foolish, she was the best huntsman I knew," Jaune said, immediately on the defensive.

"Don't get me wrong, she was a top notch fighter, but even she should have known that Cinder was too much for her to handle on her own."

"How can you say that? You didn't even know Pyrrha!" Jaune said accusingly.

"True but, believe it or not, I know how to gage a person's fighting abilities simply from watching them. I saw your Vital Festival matches, including Cinder's group. Even then I could tell she was holding back. That woman was far more skilled and experienced than Pyrrha was. She may have been a prodigy but that's nothing compared to real world experience."

"So you're saying that Pyrrha's death was all for nothing, that her sacrifice was meaningless?" Jaune asked, infuriated.

Jack took a moment to gage Jaune's temper before answering. "I'm saying that, had she been wiser, she would have run away and lived to fight again instead of throwing herself against a wall."

Completely overcome by his anger Jaune charged headlong into Jack. While the man had ample time to evade the attack he instead chose to stand his ground. He took the full force of his attack, digging his feet into the ground. Jaune only managed to push him back a few inches, surprised by the man's natural strength, but refused to relent all the same. Unrelenting in his own way Jack took hold of Jaune, wrapping his arms underneath his shoulders, before kneeling down for a split second and then lifting Jaune with all his might. All Jaune remembered was the feeling of weightlessness before his world flipped over and he was once again gasping for air on his back.

"You know what this is?" Jack said, standing over Jaune while holding his scroll with Pyrrha's face still frozen in time. "It's torture. You're tormenting yourself over events that were beyond your control."

"Shut up! You don't a thing about her!" Jaune shot back, attempting to rise but found himself pinned to the ground under Jack's boot.

"True, I never meet her in person, however I was privileged enough to read the reports surrounding the events that took place, including your testimony," Jack said, stretching the truth a little.

"From what you stated it was obvious Pyrrha sent you away not only in an attempt to keep you safe but because she knew that what she was about to embark upon was a suicide mission. Having you there, knowing you would be a prime target, would have made things infinitely more difficult for her. In the end she unfortunately bit off more than she could handle."

"I know how those events must be plaguing your mind, Jaune. You relive them every time you train, telling yourself if you had only been faster, stronger, more skilled then you would have been an asset rather than a hindrance. While I can sympathize with this way of thinking I must also advise that you stop torturing yourself like this. Placing them blame on your shoulders will do little to honor her memory."

"And what would you know? Have you ever lost anyone that close? Have you ever known someone who cared so much for you that they placed themselves in harms way just to keep you safe? Do you know how hard it is to live the knowledge that, in some small way, you were a burden to them, holding them back?" Jaune asked, hot tears streaming down his face as he recalled all the precious moments he'd shared with Pyrrha.

"Yes, Jaune, I do. I live with that every day," Jack said. To Jaune's surprise the man released his foothold on him before tossing him his scroll. In the dim light of the moon he could make out the solemn, tired look in his eyes.

"When I began this life I had nothing. Everything I had was culminated in one person, one precious person who treated me far better than I deserved. They are dead now, because of me, because of my inabilities and shortcomings, because I was unable to protect them when they needed me most…" Jack stopped, holding back tears that threatened to come pouring out.

"I've lived with that burden all my life. It has weighed me down, ravaged my mind, body and soul like a cancer. I cannot take back what happened that day and you can't change your past. However, you can forgive yourself. Pyrrha's death was not your fault. What she did she did to protect you, knowing it would cost her everything. Don't tarnish her memory by holding onto all that guilt."

Jaune was speechless, unable to come up with a viable counterargument to Jack's advice. Without waiting for his reply Jack headed back towards camp where he settled himself in the grove of a tree and attempted to get some sleep. Unbeknownst to him, however, Demi had been wide awake during the whole affair. She'd heard every word her father spoke and it pained her to know he carried around such a horrible burden. She wiped away a tear, moved by the fact that she, like her father, knew what is like to lose someone precious. Little did she know that she would soon learn the full extent of this tragedy.

* * *

 **Alright, finally got this chapter out of the way. I'm real excited to have this one finished because the next couple of chapters will be a two-part special. Not only are you going to learn a great deal more about Jack's childhood but I've also prepared a special battle scene to really get your blood flowing. It'll basically be an excuse to show off Jack's skills before the story's climax.**

 **Speaking of battle scenes, my apologies that the sparring scene between Jack and Jaune wasn't very long. I'm not great at writing that kind of stuff but I did have enough in mind to make things interesting. Also, regarding what I had Jack say about Pyrrha, I realize that many of you may find that rather irritating. Fact is, when you take a fresh look back, Pyrrha knew more than anyone just how powerful Cinder had become and how screwed she was in facing her. Don't get me wrong I loved Pyrrha and was a huge Arkos fan but still the girl bit off more than she could chew. That's just my two cents.**

 **Also, if you haven't seen Episode 2 of Volume 5 be warned for some light spoilers. Did anyone else have their mind blown when Salem told Watts she needed him to create a new tail for Tyrian? I literally lost my shit. I'm not insinuating in any fashion that the writers of RWBY stole my idea (honestly I think they came up with it long before I started my fanfic) but it was totally awesome to see something I wrote about not too long ago becoming an actual part of RWBY. Here's hoping we see more.**


	12. Chapter 11: Homecoming, Part 1

**Homecoming, Part 1**

 **Anima – Outside the village of Hasiel – Jack**

Jack starred up at the back gate that lead into the village. It had been over ten years since he'd last laid eyes on it and somehow it seemed smaller and less imposing than it had when he was a child. He knew the reason was simply that, from the viewpoint of a child, everything looked bigger and more frightening. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there had been something more to those memories, something that had made his decision to leave home and never return so much more terrifying.

"You alright?" Weiss asked, her tone holding a note of worry. Jack looked into her eyes, forcing a smile, before letting it revert back to a frown as he gazed up at the gate.

"Would you blame me if I said I wanted to bypass this place altogether and just take our chances with the forest full of Grimm?" he asked.

"You're not going in alone. You have your friend's right beside you."

"That's not what worries me," he admitted. "What worries me is how much more of myself this place is going to try and take way."

Weiss opened her mouth to ask about his cryptic response but was cut off as Jack strode through the gate. Almost immediately she noticed a change in his posture, the way he looked at the people of the village, and even the manner in which he walked. Everything told her he was on high alert, as if he expected the ground itself to reach out and attack him. While she'd noticed similar behavior in their previous stops his mannerisms had always appeared more relaxed, as if confident that he could handle whatever dangers might come their way.

Now, however, he seemed unsure of himself. It was strange to think that such a simple looking village could hold such power over this man. The villagers themselves didn't exactly dissuade his behavior either. Everyone they passed gave them a suspicious look and several young mothers ushered their children inside only to pier at them from the windows.

What Jack had said about the village and its inhabitants was no joke. While she'd thought it was simply a bias of his she now saw that he had been completely honest. They were strangers in a strange land. Ignoring the thousands of eyes following their every move the huntsman followed Jack to the local tavern and inn.

While being watched outside from every conceivable corner had been a little annoying, once inside the matter became almost unbearable. As if on cue the entirety of the inns occupants stopped what they were doing and starred down the newcomers to their humble establishment. No one even attempted to hide their unease as they made their way to the counter.

"What can I do for y'all?" the clerk asked, giving each member of their party an untrusting gaze as he looked them over from top to bottom.

"We'd like three rooms please, one of them private," Jack said, laying a generous amount of lien on the counter.

"I see. If you don't mind me asking, what's your business here?" the clerk asked, taking the money and handing Jack three room keys without taking his eyes off of him. "I'm sure you've noticed but we don't get too many visitors 'round these parts. Not exactly fond of strangers," he drawled.

"We're huntsman from Mistral, on our way to our next mission," Jack said without a pausing to think. Obviously he had crafted a story prior to their arrival.

"Really? I don't mean to be rude but these kids look too young to be huntsman," the clerk pointed out.

"They're in their final year. I'm their instructor. We're simply headed to their final exam."

"Well, isn't that something. To think our little town would be hosting some bonafide huntsman," the clerk said with a cheery tone.

Almost immediately Weiss felt the atmosphere lighten. All around the occupants of the tavern and inn loosened, their eyes becoming softer and their mood friendlier. Teams RWNY and JNR, along with Demi, relaxed as well. They'd all been on high alert from the tension in the air and, with everyone treating them in a more welcoming manner; they started to feel right at home. Only Jack remained on guard, keeping his hood up and glasses on, as he lead everyone upstairs and to their respective rooms.

"Well, that was a bit odd," Yang commented as soon as they were inside.

"It's not surprising. Most towns this far out from Mistral experience a greater amount of danger than others. The fact that they found us suspicious is simply part of their life experience," Jaune pointed out.

"Don't get too comfortable," Jack said, his hood and glasses still set on his face. "These people will turn on you just as easily as they've welcomed you. It's best if we keep things friendly but play it close to the chest. The fewer reasons they have to turn on us the better."

"What makes you think they'll turn on us?" Demi asked out of curiosity.

"Personal experience," Jack replied.

"Not everyone is out to get us. Maybe these people are just a little more cautious of strangers than most?" Ruby reasoned.

"Believe what you will but be ready to leave by daybreak," Jack said before turning for the door.

"Where are you going?" Weiss called after him.

"To visit an old friend," he said before disappearing down the hall.

* * *

 **Salem's Castle – Salem**

Salem smiled as she gazed into the squid like Grimm that hovered before her. Through the creature's abilities she was able to pinpoint Jack's location and keep a consistent eye on him at all times. This had enabled her to monitor his progress as he drew closer and closer to the other side of Anima. From there it would simply be a series of airship rides and boat trips until he made it back to her. She knew exactly what he had planned to do but he was completely unaware of what she had in store for the young bounty hunter.

For a few weeks now she'd had her beowulves and ursi following close behind, impeding his progress and coaxing them to take a route that she'd determined would be more favorable to her personal plans. Before long the boy had ended up in Hasiel, the place of his birth. It wasn't hard for her to take notice of his discontent at having returned home and this only served to build her confidence.

"Excellent. Send a detachment of our forces that way but have them wait a few miles outside of the village. Once night falls begin the assault. I want to see just how committed Jack is to his little crusade."

The squid gurgled in a language (if you could call it that) that only Salem herself understood. It slowly floated away, obediently carrying out its Mistress' orders. Salem leaned back and smiled contently to herself.

She knew Jack was growing closer to the young Schnee heiress. However, she was even more aware of the vendetta he held against her for betraying him. If nothing else this experiment would serve to show his commitment to his cause and perhaps even showcase the true extend of his abilities. Whether he succeeded or failed would be the deciding factor in insuring his place as one of her more useful pawns.

If he should succeed then turning him over to her service would be a small feat. Mankind was, after all, a weak willed species. Though his time in her presence had only served to show disloyalty to anyone but himself, she was certain that her methods of persuasion would be enough to win him over or at least destroy any part of him that even considered refusing her.

If he should fail, however, well that would pose an even greater problem. Jack's semblance was unique. On his own it was intimidating but, if he were to lead an armory of Grimm, it would make him even more formidable as everyone who fell before them rose to join their ranks. The only problem lay in the amount of energy it took for him to control it.

Yes, she knew he had to succeed. If nothing else than to prove to her that he was a force to be reckoned with. She already controlled the Grimm and, in time, she would control the dead as well. Salem smiled slyly to herself. Yes, soon her forces would grow in power and no army would dare stand against her for fear of their own rising to oppose them.

* * *

 **Hasiel – Weiss**

Not long after coming to the inn Weiss sauntered down to the lobby. Though she reasoned within herself that it was only natural for her to be concerned about a friend's wellbeing, in truth she was more worried about Jack and what might be plaguing him since he'd returned home. He'd been gone for nearly an hour, not surprising considering the man tended to keep to himself, but it was long enough for her to give herself reason to check on him.

She took a quick look around the lobby, never expecting to see him nestled among the handful of patrons, but nonetheless hopeful. While she could pick out groups of men drinking and laughing together as well as those who were seeking a refuge from the world she didn't see any hint of Jack amongst them. It was obvious he was somewhere else but where he'd gone was a complete mystery to her.

"Excuse me," she called to the clerk who'd abandoned the counter in order to tend to the bar. "Did you happen to see our, err, chaperon leaving by chance?" she asked.

"Saw him head outside. Not sure where he was headed though," the man replied.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for your help," she said. She turned to leave when an idea caught hold and she turned back to the clerk. "I know this may sound like an odd question but would you by chance know a family by the name Brisbane?" she inquired.

The man's expression changed from day to night at the mere mention of Jack's family name. He looked around cautiously, as if expecting someone to be listening in, before fixing Weiss with a piercing glare as he leaned forward and whispered, "how do you know that name?"

"They're acquaintances of my family," she lied, attempting to sound genuine. When the man's expression hardened she frantically racked her brain for something more concrete. "My father and Mr. Brisbane used to work the mines together just before he passed away. I was hoping to pay my respects."

The man took a moment to consider her statement before his expression lightened a little, enough to put Weiss at ease. "That's very respectable of you, Miss," he said in a hushed but cheery tone. "I'm afraid, though, that I must advice against going anywhere near their home."

"Why is that?" she asked, curious.

"Well, thing is, the Brisbane family used to be respectable folk. Unfortunately, their family were the victims of terrible circumstance."

"How do you mean?"

"They lost their daughter, Elizabeth, over ten years ago to a Grimm attack. People thought it was an accident until their son, can't quiet recall his name, raised her from the dead."

"He what?" Weiss asked, stunned by what she'd heard.

"I tell you true, in front of the Gods and everyone who attended her wake, the boy raised her from the grave. Was a terrible sight to behold. After that rumors started going round that the boy was cursed or that he was practicing black magic. You know what I think though?"

"What do you think?"

"I think the boy caused his sister's death. I think he had the Grimm attack her in order to complete a deal he'd made with the devil himself in exchange for that unholy power of his."

"You don't say," Weiss said, her heart sinking at the thought of a young Jack Brisbane becoming an outcast simply from manifesting his semblance in broad daylight.

"If you insist on paying your respects, though, just follow the road heading north towards the edge of town. They were buried alongside their daughter out in the village cemetery. Their house is just east of that but I don't recommend going there. Place is haunted. Some people claim to have seen Elizabeth walking 'round the place, cursed by her brother to never pass on to the other side. But you didn't hear none of this from me," the man said promptly.

"Not a word," Weiss said in agreement and immediately departed the inn.

As soon as she was outside Weiss made a beeline for the Brisbane residence. While she didn't know for certain that he would be there somehow Weiss knew it was the one place Jack would visit while in town. Word had quickly spread about the young hunters who had taken up residence at the local inn as everyone she passed greeted her politely, some even stopping her to ask questions regarding her training, school, and personal goals. Weiss answered them as quickly and politely as she could, her focus more so on finding Jack that anything else.

Before long she managed to pull herself away from the throng of people and started down the deserted road that led to the cemetery. The trip took longer than she expected but as soon as she caught sight of the cemetery it made sense. While not as large as some of the cemeteries she'd seen in Atlas the Hasiel village cemetery was considerably big, a testament to the number of people who'd sacrificed their lives for the chance at a new start.

Weiss considered searching the tombstones to see if she could find Jack's family but decided against it. It would be better to hear about them from Jack himself rather than make her own assumptions just yet. As she headed towards the house she was surprised to see a few children standing just yards away from the premises. As she drew closer she could hear them talking, daring one another to venture closer.

"Come on, all you have to do is walk up and touch the door, it's as simple as that," one of the boys, the leader from the sound of it, chided a timid young boy.

"If it's so easy why don't you do it?" the boy dared.

"We already have. Besides, if you want to be a part of our club then you have to touch the door."

Weiss shook her head in disappointment. Somehow she wasn't surprised that these young boys would use this so called haunted house as a test of courage. Gazing up at the ruin she tried to imagine what it must have looked like when Jack was a boy. Her imagination must have been running wild as she noticed a tall figure pass by one of the windows. The boys noticed it too as they all cried out in unison.

"What the heck was that?"

"Let's get out of here before she comes for us!"

Like a flock of birds they scattered, each one running off in a different direction as they attempted to put as much distance between them and the house as possible. Only one of the boys remained, stuck to the ground by his fear. Weiss, unfazed by the whole fiasco, starting walking towards the house. She knew that it must have been Jack walking around inside as the figure she had seen was too tall to be a woman. Before she was able to step any closer, however, she felt something tug on her sleeve. Turning back she noticed the young boy, his face full of fear, holding tightly to her arm.

"Don't go in there. She'll get you and you'll never come out."

"What makes you say that?" Weiss asked, kneeling down to look the boy in the eye.

"They say that the lady who lives there punishes anyone who trespasses on her home. No one who's gone in there has ever come out."

"I highly doubt that," she said with a chuckle. "Besides, I don't think she's ever dealt with a huntress before. I'm sure I'll be just fine," she said, patting Myrtenaster hanging on her belt.

"I guess, but I'll stay here just in case," the boy insisted, attempting to put on a brave face despite his obvious show of fear.

Weiss gave him a warm smile before heading towards the house. As she stepped onto the creaking and worn steps she glanced back at the boy, his feet planted in place, before venturing inside.

Whatever assumptions Weiss had made before regarding the state of the house from the outside were nothing compared to the reality of it all. To say the place had been neglected was putting it lightly. Aside from the layers of caked on dust, caved in walls and blankets of cobwebs it was obvious no one had lived there in quite some time. The floorboards creaked with every step, making it impossible for Weiss to move through the house quietly.

The house itself wasn't much, to say the least. The living area and kitchen were a shared space with a single hallway jutting out towards the back before forking off into the master bedroom and adjacent room that Weiss could only assume belonged to Jack and his sister. Looking to the ground she noticed boot prints in the dust leading down the hall, an obvious sign that Jack had indeed returned.

Moving to the back she found that the bedroom door had been left ajar, allowing a small sliver of light to pierce through to the hall. Gently nudging the door open she looked inside to see nothing more than a large bed, a slightly dismantled dresser, and a small chest for clothes. Jack himself sat on the old musty bed, completely oblivious to the world around him as he stared down at a small wooden sword he cradled in his hands.

The sword itself was crude in design. While Weiss had seen wooden swords in the toy shops at various villages there was always a certain level of quality to them. This one was very poorly made, the sides of which weren't even parallel to one another. Small chirps could be seen in the wood and the roughness of the wood itself told her that its maker had never taken the time to sand it down. Yet, from the way Jack held it in his hands; she could tell the toy held a great significance to him.

"Jack, are you alright?" she asked.

Jack said nothing and made no move to show that he'd noticed her presence. Unperturbed, Weiss took a seat next to him, silently watching him as she waited patiently for him to open up.

"My sister made this for me," he finally said. "I was six. I'd never received any kind of gift from anyone before then. It was the only present anyone had ever given to me and it was my most treasured possession."

"She must have spent a lot of time making it," Weiss commented.

"She did," Jack said in agreement. "Thinking back now, it was obvious that she was making it for me in secret. I knew because she had small cuts all over her hands from where the knife had slipped."

"She was my whole world you know. My mother was barley a part of my life. Elizabeth, Eli I used to call her, was all I had in the world. This toy is my last connection to her." Gazing at the sword Weiss watched as Jack's grip grew tighter, causing his already pale knuckles to turn a ghostly white. "Now it's nothing more than a constant reminder of my failures."

He rose in an instant, catching Weiss off guard, as he made to throw it against the nearby wall and splinter it into a thousand pieces. He never did, however, despite the resolve on his face and the anger burning brightly in his eyes. He merely starred at the wall, sword raised above his head, before it fell to his side. Defeated by his own inabilities he tossed it onto the bed, unable to look at it anymore.

"I think it's time we left. I can't stand to be here anymore amongst all these ghosts," Jack said in a tired voice.

Weiss nodded, never saying a word as she took his hand in hers and lead him outside. Obediently, Jack followed her, being led from the house like a child. It was a rare moment of weakness for the man, something that Weiss found quite insightful and even felt a little grateful to be a part of. To know that he would allow her to see something this personal about himself meant that they had grown closer. As soon as they made it outside Weiss was immediately reminded of the young boy who'd stayed behind and found him exactly where she'd left him like an obedient puppy.

"Miss Huntress, who's that?" the boy asked in a voice that betrayed his fear of the looming figure behind her.

"This is my friend Jack. He's a hunter, like me."

"Oh, hi Mr. Jack," the boy said, attempting to sound brave despite being intimidated by the man's appearance.

"Jack, say hi," Weiss chided. "Jack?"

"The sky is dark," Jack pointed out, gazing up with a confused look into the night sky.

"Of course it is, its evening after all," she replied matter-of-factly.

"That's not what I mean. The atmosphere is heavy. Can't you feel it?"

Now that he'd mentioned it Weiss could feel something odd in the air. It felt thicker, heavier than usual. The feeling seemed almost familiar and in a way that made her feel apprehensive. The hairs on her arms and neck began to stand on end and her muscles tightened. She knew this feeling. It was a feeling she'd had more times that she could recall. Grimm were nearby but by the way she felt it had to be an immense amount, an army almost. That wasn't possible, though, right? Such a large number of Grimm wouldn't be attracted to such a remote place, would they?"

"Back to the village, now!" Jack instructed and took off in a run.

Weiss took off after him, instinctively scooping up the child as she ran. Something was terribly wrong. While on the outside she was calm inside she was a turbulence of emotions. The negativity in the air was palpable, making her feel apprehensive. She needed to get back to her team, if for nothing else than to know that they were safe. She only hoped they were all safe.

* * *

"Thomas!" a woman cried as Jack and Weiss came bolting down the dirt road.

"Mama!" the boy cried out, leaping from Weiss' arms and running into his mother's grasp.

"Inside, now!" the woman instructed, dragging the boy towards the nearest building.

"What's going on?" the boy asked, sensing his mothers fear.

"Just get inside where it's safe," she said and quickly moved inside herself.

"Weiss!" she heard Ruby cry out as she, along with everyone else, ran towards her. "Where have you been?"

"I was with Jack."

"What's going on?" Jack interrupted, taking control of the conversation.

"Grimm, a lot of them, headed towards the main gate. We tried to get the people to evacuate but they won't leave," Jaune said.

Hearing the urgency in Jaune's voice Jack ran towards the gate and opened the small wooden window. Despite how dark it was Jack could see black shapes moving in the background with white bone and red eyes accentuated by the night. While he couldn't tell how many there were he knew from experience that there were far too many to outrun. If the villagers even attempted to escape they would be massacred. They're only hope was to stand and fight but he doubted they'd stand a chance. Teams RWBY and JNR along with Demi and himself might pose a threat but, even if all the villagers armed themselves, it wouldn't be enough. They'd all be killed. Unless...

"Yang, Ruby, Nora, get on top of the gate and start laying down fire. Eliminate as many Grimm as you can before they make it to the main gate. Jaune and Ran, you two try to keep the villagers calm. The more calm they are the less of an attraction they'll be for the Grimm. Also, find anyone whose willing to fight and arm them. They'll be on standby as a last resort. Weiss and Demi, you support the others as best you can until I get back," Jack instructed before bolting for the trail leading back to his home.

"Where are you going?" Weiss called after him.

"To gather some reinforcements," Jack called back.

Everyone exchanged looks, unsure of what to make of his statement. Before long, however, they all fell into the roles he'd left for them. They had little time to waste. Still, they didn't feel very confident about their chances of survival. The last time they'd faced a Grimm hoard of this magnitude was at the battle of Beacon and none of them wanted to recall the events of that night. They're only hope was that Jack made good on his statement to bring back help. The only question now was where he was going to find it.

* * *

Breathless but focused Jack raced up the trail, looking for the fork that split the road before taking the path which lead to the cemetery. Once there he looked out over the numerous tombstones that adorned the area, feeling the corpses that lay beneath the earth. Reaching out with his semblance he could feel the state of each one, making note of those who'd prove more useful than others. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself for the ordeal that lay before him. He never would have thought that one day he'd be saving the people who'd driven him away. Regardless he knew what he had to do. Tonight he was fighting for more than just himself. Tonight he was fighting for survival and not even death would deny him that right.

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 **A short chapter, as you can see. I split it into to two parts mostly because I felt it added greater depth to the story overall. That and I wanted to see if, by adding a cliffhanger, my views would go up. A cheap** **move, I know, but still you have to appreciate the suspense I'm offering you.**

 **I'm so excited to have finally been able to start writing this chapter. I almost had to postpone it until a later date due to some unforeseen computer trouble. Thankfully I found a way around this and was able to work on my story. As promised this chapter, as well as those that follow, will show more character development between Jack and Weiss. I don't want to spoil anything but we're going to see they relationship blossom even further before it's put to the ultimate test.**

 **Obviously the next part of this chapter is going to showcase Jack's true ability when it comes to raising the dead. I'm going to try and make it was believable as possible mostly because I don't want him to come across as too OP. Still, considering how skilled I'm making him, he's a force of nature all his own.**

 **I'll be working diligently on the next part to insure that you're not disappointed with what's to come. Also, I've been putting some thought into what I'm going to write once this series is done. I'm considering doing some cross-over stories so, once I have some good ideas stocked up, I'll make a poll for everyone to vote on.**


	13. Chapter 12: Homeward Bound, Part 2

**Homecoming, Part 2**

 **Anima – Hasiel Cemetery – Jack**

Jack reached out with his semblance, sensing the numerous bodies that lay buried deep within the earth. He could detect the intricate details of each one, taking note which ones were useful and those which were useless. Taking a deep breath he relaxed the muscles all throughout his body and concentrated. It had been a long time since Jack had last raised a human corpse. While not impossible for him the process was much more difficult to maintain than that of an animal or insect. At best he could control twenty, maybe twenty-five if he pushed himself. However, he needed to focus, to concentrate on the task at hand. Lives were depending on the success of his endeavor and nothing could be allowed to distract him.

Reaching out instinctively, black tendrils of mist began issuing from the ends of his fingertips before disappearing into the ground. Deep within the earth the mist began worming its way through the corpses, forming around them like black masses of muscle and tendon. With each successful puppet Jack brought under his control he felt an invisible line of string connect them to him, draining him of energy. Jack could already tell that maintaining control of such a large group was going to be difficult. What's more, if anyone knew what he planned to do with his small army, they'd think him suicidal. Then again, considering where he was, they might have been onto something.

* * *

 **Hasiel Front Gate – Demi**

"Everyone, fall back!" Demi shouted as she brought up the rear of the towns makeshift militia.

Not long after Jack had issued his orders to everyone and bolted the level of fear and anxiety had skyrocketed. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Jack was acting under the guise of a Haven Academy instructor, their chaperon, and the act of him "abandoning" everyone would doubtlessly made anyone assume the worst. Almost immediately the Grimm approaching the town had felt the sudden shift in emotion and came crashing down on the gate like a torrent of flood water on a wall of sandbags. While the gate was sturdy and made to take a good deal of punishment it was never designed to withstand this level of punishment.

The moment Demi made it through the gates and had them slammed shut behind her she looked back in time to see the doors buckle. Demi felt her heart plummet, relishing how screwed they were. That door wasn't going to last and with the way the Grimm were acting they had maybe ten minutes, at best, before the doors gave out and the Grimm began flooding in like rats. Unwilling to go down without a fight, however, the combined efforts of teams RWY and JNR did not go unnoticed.

Yang and Nora were on the wall of the gate, firing volley after volley into the see of beowulves and ursi. Ruby and Ren were focusing their efforts on the smaller flying Grimm that had been attracted to the fray. Jaune and Weiss were busy fighting off any Grimm that managed to climb over the wall or landed down in the village, cutting them to pieces and skewering them before they had a chance to attack.

Their efforts, while noble, would be fruitless in the end. They needed help. They needed reinforcements. They needed Jack now more than ever. For the first time Demi felt utter disgust for her father. He'd left them, abandoned them in their time of need. Where could he have possibly gone to get help if not to save his own skin. Angered by this thought she decided that there was only one course of action for her to take. Track him down and drag his ass back here so he could at least be made to die like a man.

Without a word to anyone she bolted for the dirt path. Overhead the sky grew dark and thundered in unison with her increasingly destructive mood. She tore up the road, focused only on finding Jack and, by chance, took the path leading towards the cemetery. Before long she saw Jack's silhouette, standing at the graveyards entrance. She didn't know what he was doing and to be frank she didn't care. With her sword in hand she approached her father from behind ready to force him back to the front at blade point if necessary.

"Jack, you're coming with me. We need all the help we can get at the gate."

Jack said nothing, appearing to be ignoring her as he stood stalk still, his hands stretched out towards the graves.

"I'm not playing around. People's lives are at stake."

"Quiet, I need to concentrate," he shot back.

Fumming, Demi moved to stand right in front of Jack and placed the tip of her sword at his throat. Overhead the sky flashed with a bolt of lightening before rain began to cascade down around them. The water was lukewarm and it fell in large droplets. Jack showed no signs of being disturbed by the sudden change in weather.

"I don't care who you think you are. You may hate those people, you may think they all deserve to die, but I will not stand by and allow you to sacrifice their lives to save your own. If we die then we die together," she seethed.

"No one will die tonight," Jack answered, opening his eyes to gaze down at Demi. "I guarantee it."

Puzzled by his odd statement Demi opened her mouth to ask him what he was rambling on about when a strange noise caught he attention. Swinging around she peered out into the graveyard, a strange squishing noise audible from all corners of the field. Demi assumed it was Grimm who had come through the back gate and were attempting to sneak up on them. However, the sound was muffled, as if it was coming from underground. Demi strained her eyes to see and, in the flash of another bolt of lighting, saw a bone white hand jet out from the ground.

Demi lurched back, slamming into Jack while keeping her eyes focused on the scene before her. All around corpses began digging their way out of the ground, struggling against the wet earth as they surfaced. Their levels of decay varied with each person but the sight was one that made her instincts go haywire. Glancing up at Jack with the revelation of what he was doing she now noticed beads of sweat dripping down from his forehead. What she had assumed was exhaustion from attempting to flee was in fact the tole and strain being placed upon from his semblance. Before long nearly two dozen corpses had risen from the ground and shambled over to Jack.

"Demi, run back and let everyone know that help is on the way," Jack said. "Now," he urged.

Without another word of protest Demi took off, stumbling along the muddy ground as she attempted to put as much distance between herself and the undead as possible. Jack paid her little attention and instead focused on his army. As they were now none of them would be at all useful for what he had in mind. Thankfully he knew that the blacksmith's shop was nearby. A quick stop there and they'd have the reinforcements Jack had promised them.

* * *

Demi came tumbling down the road, mud splattered all over her jeans as she headed for the team. Weiss took instant notice of this and, sensing something was wrong, headed over to Demi. The girl was pale and out of breath, obviously shaken by what she'd seen.

"Demi, what's going on? Where's Jack?"

"He's coming. I thought he had abandoned us but," she struggled to breath before finishing, "he's brining reinforcements as promised."

Weiss was about to ask her what she meant by all of this when a strange sound caught her attention. From further back in the village Weiss could see the figure of Jack marching forward with a group of individuals following close behind. Weiss looked towards him in confusion, wondering how he'd managed to end up there before looking towards his followers. While she couldn't see any of their faces what struck her as odd was the fact that they all wore mismatched armor and held weapons and shields that were rather poorly made. If she had been truly paying attention, however, she would have also noticed that none of them were breathing aside from Jack.

Looking at them she could discern at least twenty, maybe more, individuals standing behind him. While she wondered where he'd managed to find so many people it didn't matter at that moment. The sudden arrival of armored help had brought renewed hope and calm to the villagers, an attribute they sorely needed. Gazing at the gate Jack took a deep breath. Without him saying it Weiss knew he was planning something crazy and while she wanted to stop him she decided to trust in his judgement.

"Everyone, fall back," he ordered.

"What? Are you crazy?" Jaune asked, flabbergasted by Jack's order.

"I need you to trust me Jaune. For the sake of this village," he said. "Weiss, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?" she asked, uncertain of her willingness to go along with Jack's plans.

"I'm going to open the gate and push the Grimm back with the aid of our reinforcements. Once we're outside I want you all to shut the gate and then erect a wall of ice to reinforce the doors."

"But you'll be trapped on the other side," Ruby protested.

"We're prepared to give our all to insure the Grimm don't claim a victory here."

Without waiting for their response Jack began heading towards the gate. His army followed suit, wordlessly marching forward as two of them headed towards the gate doors and prepared to open it. Weiss looked over at Demi, desperate for some solace that told her she knew what was going on. Demi couldn't even look her mother in the eye. While she knew that the only person in danger was Jack she was still unsettled by the sheer ferocity of his abilities. Failing to gain anything of worth from Demi, Weiss immediately took off to cut Jack off from his destination.

"Jack, don't do this. There has to be another way."

"This is the best way. As we stand now we have a slim chance of surviving this assault. My plan will ensure you all live without there being too many casualties."

"But you'll all die!" she protested.

"Weiss, all of us died a long time ago. Coming here has forced me to face reality. However, if I'm to die once more it'll be on my terms."

With a warm but sad smile Jack pushed past Weiss and headed for the gate. Taking a stance several feet from the entrance his puppets immediately moved ahead of him, forming a wall of armored bodies. Watching the gate buckle with each successive attack from the Grimm he waited with baited breath for the right moment to act. As the gate buckled once more he sent a signal to the two on either side of the door. Wordlessly they pulled open the gate, exposing Jack to an ocean of darkness. For a moment Jack was reminded of the dream he'd had not so long ago of the wave of darkness cascading down around him. Now here he stood, ready to face it head on.

"Form rank!" he bellowed.

Everyone within earshot turned their attention towards Jack. Like a well oiled machine his puppets raised their shields and huddled together, creating a wall of mix matched metal barriers. While problematic for the living it was of little consequence to Jack's puppets as they held firm against the on coming Grimm.

"Push them back!" he roared.

Acting as one the makeshift soldiers dug their heals into the mud, pushing against the Grimm and each other as they forced their foes back outside the village gates. Everyone looked on, awestruck by what they were witnessing. The puppets continued to press the Grimm back, with Jack acting as their commander bringing up the rear, until his two remaining soldiers pulled the gate closed behind them. The moment it was shut Weiss was brought back to reality and, with some hesitation, formed a glyph that caused a massive wall of ice to form over the door.

* * *

The moment Jack and his puppets were outside the walls an odd behavior overtook the Grimm. Walking to the front of his army Jack watched as the Grimm retreated from his presence, their eyes never wavering from his own. Looking into their dark crimson eyes he knew without being told that Salem was on the other side, directing their every move.

"Salem, I know you can hear me so I'll say this only once," he said to the nearest creature. "I have no desire to serve you. I will never bend my knee and swear allegiance to a creature that has no loyalty of her own. To give myself over to you would mean destroying everything I've worked to achieve and I've come too far to turn my back on everything I've managed to accomplish."

"You have a choice. You can take your Grimm, return them to depths of the forests and wastes and leave me alone or watch as I decimate your army. The choice is yours."

For a long while nothing happened. Between the heavy breathing of the creatures of Grimm and the the pitter patter of rain fall against the armored undead nothing else could be heard. Jack waited, knowing Salem was carefully considering his words and choosing an appropriate response. While he didn't expect any of the Grimm to suddenly gain the ability to utter human speech he did expect Salem capable of communicating with him in some fashion through them.

Her response came when one of the foremost beowulves reared back its head and let out a long, mournful howl. It was soon joined by other beowulves and ursi alike, all howling and crying out in unison. In response Jack's armored soldiers fell into a defensive stance with their shields and raised their weapons. Jack himself even prepared as he withdrew his twin daggers, thew and sinew, and readied himself for battle.

Behind him on the wall Demi had managed to climb to the top of the structure with the rest of teams RWY and JNR hot on her heals. While she hadn't heard what her father had said she knew that the Grimm had somehow understood his words. It was an odd thing to see, man and Grimm starring each other down before going into battle. The moment he readied himself for the fight she felt the urge to leap down and race to his side but stopped when she heard him begin to speak once more.

"Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul," he spoke in a bold and proud tone.

"In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeoning of chance my head is bloody but unbowed." His voice was louder, carrying up to her high perch, giving her a sense of pride and exhilaration as she listened.

"Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade, and yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid." While her attention was glued to her father Demi never failed to notice that her mother and her friends had joined her on the wall. All of them were entranced by his voice and Weiss especially stood tall, her eyes filled with fondness and ferocity as she gazed down at Jack.

Sensing the feelings being invoked by Jack's bold words the Grimm roared once more, attempting to drown out his voice rather and insight fear into their enemies. Yet, in spite of this, their cries held no sway as even the villagers who could not see the battle that was taking place had ventured out from their shelters and listened intently to Jack's final battle cry.

"It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll," he cried boldly into the face of the nearest Grimm, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!"

With those final words an odd occurrence took place. Just as a crack of thunder boomed overhead, lighting the battlefield in a brilliant flash, Jack heard the triumphant cries of his friends and the villagers as he charged forward aided by his puppets. The teams of hunters standing atop the wall pitched in, aiding him in whatever ways they could (Nora was especially hyper but that may have been due to the lightening. Crazy Thursday, am I right?) as he dove headlong into the fray. Whatever advantage the Grimm had started out with was gone as Humans and Undead fought tirelessly against the darkness.

The Grimm, while ferocious, were nonetheless confused by how ineffective their attacks were against the armored humans. Try as they might to kill them their victims seem unperturbed by their onslaught as overtime they fell only to rise back to their feet, weapons in hand as they sliced their way through the Grimm like they were blades of grass. Even Jack himself was a sight to behold.

While not a powerhouse, in terms of fighting he did have experience, speed, and maneuverability. Using all of these skills in tandem he managed to maneuver around the Grimm's wild and predictable assault, ducking and weaving under claws before alleviating his attackers of their heads. Before long the ranks of the Grimm which had been far more numerous than Jack's began to dwindle.

While it was widely believed that the Grimm knew nothing of fear nor felt anything akin to it, watching the battle unfold would have made even the most stubborn expert begin to wonder if perhaps these creatures were in fact becoming frightful of the Bounty Hunter who was slaying so many of their brethren. As the battle wagged on the rear ranks of the Grimm began to disperse. Soon they were followed by what was left of the army of darkness as the creatures fled back into the forests. Whether by instinct or Salem's command for a retreat, Jack couldn't say. What he was certain of, however, was that the battle had been won. The danger had passed.

The moment this thought dawned on him the previous nights storm clouds began to disperse as the morning sun bleed through. From behind him cheers could be heard from his fellow huntsman as well as the villagers, many of whom had scaled the wall in order to watch the battle unfold. Jack didn't turn his attention to them, rather, as his gaze fell on a lone beowulf lying on the ground, wounded and abandoned by its pack. Confidently Jack strode over to the creature, coming within striking range.

The Grimm growled as he approached. While it attempted to retreat its damaged leg was holding it back. Leaning down Jack came face to face with the creature, locking eyes with it. In response the beowulf attempted to bite off his head but found its jaws clamped shut by a swift uppercut from one of Jack's knives. Holding it firmly in place he spoke softly to the creature, his words audible only to it and its mistress.

"Salem, I want you to remember this day. I want you to remember this defeat. One day I will return to your lair and finish what I began. You think I will be conquered so easily but as you have seen you are wrong. I am stronger than you think. I will not bend my knee to you. I would rather be killed fighting for what I believe in than die kneeling before you in obedience."

"Until we meet again I want you to remember these words. Respice post te, hominem te esse memento, mori – nam mors indecepta. Look behind you. Remember that you are human. Remember that you will die – for death is infallible."

With those final words he sliced through the Grimm's neck and watched as its body dissolved into a black mist. The victory was his but the war was far from over. Salem would claim victories of her own and, eventually, the war itself. Until that time, however, Jack would have to prove himself to be a most unwanted thorn in her side.

Returning to the village Jack was greeted with the resounding cheers and applause from all who had seen him. While bruised, exhausted, and dangerously close to using up what little aura he had left keeping his semblance running he nonetheless allowed himself a moment to take in the praise. It was something he seldom experienced and certainly not something he expected from his own village. He knew there was an irony to all this but he ignored that fact. It wasn't really important right now.

The teams all came forward to congratulate him on a job well done. Demi surprised everyone, especially herself, when she leaped forward and embraced her father. Jack was caught off guard but eventually hugged her back, if only to be polite. Weiss herself was brimming with emotions and while annoyed that Demi had hugged Jack instead of her, she chose to maintain a controlled appearance. She stepped forward and opened her mouth to say something but felt the words catch in her throat as her eyes meet his. Jack was speechless himself and instead settled for an affectionate smile which Weiss didn't hesitate to return.

Demi looked on at her parents, pleased by what she was witnessing. While she wasn't an expert she was certain there was chemistry erupting between them. The battle itself had gone far in providing her mother with a whole knew perspective on Jack that she hadn't seen before. Even Demi had been impressed by her fathers tenacity and skill. While she still felt uneasy around his puppets she couldn't deny her Father's creativity in utilizing them against the Grimm. Thankfully most people had been enamored by their ability to overcome the odds and not the fact that all of them had managed to survive the battle. The fewer probing questions they had the better.

"Hunters, come! Let us have a feast to celebrate your victory!" one of the villagers enthusiastically suggested.

"I wouldn't say this was our victory so much as Jack's. He did all the leg work," Yang pointed out.

"I wasn't alone in my battle," Jack said, motioning to his armored puppets. "Before we celebrate, however, I must see my friends off. They need to return home soon."

Not waiting for anyone to ask who they were or where they came from Jack quickly moved as one with his puppets down the road. Using some clever backtracking skills he was able to evade the crowd and make his way back to the blacksmith where he returned all of the borrowed armor. Hopefully the owner wouldn't notice the dents but if he did he'd have a difficult time finding the culprits. From there he returned them to the graveyard, insuring that each corpse was laid back in its corresponding grave.

The moment they were down and covered Jack released his semblance. All at once he felt his exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks. Maintaining his semblance for as long as he had and with so many corpses to boot had been a far greater ordeal than he'd first anticipated. All he wanted was to sleep. Hopefully he could convince the village to allow him some rest before the festivities. Thinking on this Jack couldn't help smiling to himself.

"So much for being the devil's child, ehh mother?" Jack asked out loud as he glanced over at a grave stone among two others which he had purposely left untouched.

If one took the time to read the fading inspirations on each they would have noticed all three held the same name; Brisbane. The two that held his parents were fairly recent in years while the other... the other had been there for a very long time. Jack had left their bodies undisturbed, unwilling to even consider raising his parents from their graves. He had grown to hate them in life and certainly didn't wish to see them again in death. The other one, however, he had left alone out of respect. He wanted to remember her as she was and not as a rotting corpse. He owed her that much at least.

* * *

Back in the village Demi and the others had retreated to their rooms to change clothes. The rainfall had soaked clean through and they were in dire need of dry clothing, if for nothing else than to avoid getting sick. All the while her roommates talked about Jack and his friends, wondering aloud where he had managed to recruit so many huntsman in so little time.

"Can't believe he was able to find so many huntsman in so little time," Yang commented.

"Maybe they were nearby?" Ruby reasoned. _That's not too far off the mark_ Demi thought to herself.

"It's strange though. None of them talked and they acted more like soldiers rather than huntsman," Weiss pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked quizzically.

"I mean, they all acted more as a whole rather than individuals."

"I thought that's how teams were so supposed to act," Yang said in retort.

"Yes but not they way they did. They acted more like they were being controlled rather than using their skills in a fashion that complemented one another's strengths. Not only that but, when they got hurt, none of them even acted liked they'd noticed the attack. They just got back up and kept on fighting."

"She does have a point," Ruby pointed out.

"Demi, you were with Jack when they arrived. What were they like?" Weiss asked.

Demi froze, feeling self-conscious as she found herself the subject of everyone's attention. She hadn't expected Weiss to have been so observant and, just like Jack, had hoped she'd have been focused more on the threat of the Grimm rather than their saviors. She silently debated whether or not she should tell everyone the truth. She trusted them, there was no doubt about it, but she wasn't sure how well they'd take the news. Worse yet she didn't know if anyone was listening in on them.

"Demi, you alright?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"What? Oh, um," she stalled, thinking hard. Looking to the door to make sure it was closed she decided to plunge forward and trust they would be accepting of her father's unusual ability, especially when considering recent events.

"Listen, whatever I tell you can't leave this room, understand?" she said in a hushed, serious tone.

Everyone immediately caught on, realizing just how serious the subject must be. She knew they must have been crafting their own conclusions, most of which would undoubtedly revolve around hired help or mercenaries. She ushered them close to insure she could keep her voice low enough so that only they would be able to here.

"You're right to assume they weren't really huntsman," she said.

"I knew it!" Nora blurted out in her excitement.

"Shh!" Demi quieted her, bringing them all back in. "The truth is they were actually villagers."

"What? He enlisted their help? How?" Weiss questioned.

"It was very hard, all things considered."

"Well, when you have death literally trying to break down the gates I wouldn't be surprised by how easy it was to persuade them," Yang commented.

"I don't know. Most, if not all, of the villagers were too terrified to fight. Even those in their militia were almost too scarred to go near the gates. If anything I'd say they were all afraid of dying," Weiss pointed out.

"Fortunately for us none of them had to worry about that," Demi said.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"They were already dead," she said matter-of-factly.

For a moment everyone was silent. While they starred at her in disbelief Demi knew they were attempting to wrap their minds around the concept. Occasionally someone would open their mouth to speak before slamming it shut. After a while Demi began to wonder if they thought she was crazy or delirious. Despite the events from the previous night being a perfect excuse for such explanations she was too sure of what she'd witnessed to deny the truth of the matter. Finally, after what felt like the longest silence in history, Nora spoke.

"Say what now?"

"That's not possible," Yang chimed in.

"Demi, are you feeling alright?" Weiss asked out of concern.

"I'm not sick. I saw it myself," she said as she took a seat on the nearest bed. While she didn't want to recall the scene she'd witnessed she knew she had to let it all out. The girls took seats around her with Weiss sitting down next to her, placing her arm around her for comfort.

"I found him at the graveyard. I had chased after him thinking he was trying to run away, to abandon everyone. When I got there he was just standing there. I assumed he'd given up or something along those lines and went to confront him."

"Not long after the rain started I watched their corpses start jetting out of the ground. It was like seeing someone drowning only in reverse. The way they clawed at the ground and floundered their way to the surface..." Demi shuttered, remember how disturbing it was to see something like that. "After that he sent me back to you. I was all to happy to return. I couldn't stand to be around them for very long."

"What does this mean?" Ruby posed.

"Maybe he's a necromancer," Nora said excitedly.

"That would explain his creepy appearance," Yang added in agreement.

"It's actually much closer to home than you realize," Demi said. "It's his semblance."

Once again everyone was speechless. While they'd heard and encountered some unusual semblances (Qrow being a perfect example) Jack's was the one that took the cake.

"Why didn't he ever tell us?" Weiss asked.

"Aside from the obvious?" Demi said in retort. "Honestly, I can understand the secrecy. Having a semblance as unique as his could cause problems if used without restraint."

"So what should we do?"

"Just act natural. With everything that's happened I'm sure he'll be willing to tell us but I think it's best if we keep this to ourselves."

"What about Renny and Jaune?" Nora asked.

"We'll leave that to Jack. I'll speak with him later. Right now, though, I think we should just go enjoy the festivities. The less we worry about it the better."

* * *

Jack walked leisurely down the muddy road back into town. While anyone would have taken immediate notice that he was coming from the direction of his childhood home and subsequently the graveyard, neither of those things bothered him. With recent events fresh in his mind Jack was content. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time.

While Salem's attack on the village had come as a surprise, in a twisted sort of way it was a welcome occurrence. The whole affair had reshaped the way the people of his village looked at him and had even gained him some more respect from the young hunters. He took special interest in the way Weiss had looked at him. Thinking on it made his heart beat excitedly. He felt like a little kid again, eager to see his precious friends, although he wanted to see Weiss more than the others. Still, Salem was becoming bold. No doubt she'd attack again and this time she'd be relentless. As soon as they reached the next town he'd contact Qrow and Winter. Subtly was no longer an option and they'd need all the help they could get.

As he neared the heart of the village he could already see a large crowd having gathered. Were it not for the excitement he felt at the prospect of being treated like a human being by his own village he might have noticed the subtle change in atmosphere. His gaze feel on the young hunters and Weiss, standing outside the Inn, waiting for his return. They all wore warm smiles, something that should have tipped him off to them hiding their true emotions, but he paid no attention to it.

"You saw your friends off?" Weiss asked as he approached.

"Indeed. They're safety on their way," he said.

"That's good to hear," Weiss said, her smile failing for a slight moment. "Jack, there's something want to ask you, after the festivities."

"Of course," Jack said, taking notice of the change in her mood.

"Three cheers for Hasiel's saviors, the hunters of Mistral!" A booming voice cried out. The crowd shouted in unison, all eyes set squarely on Jack. "And a special show appreciation to our honored guest, Jack Brisbane!"

The moment Jack heard his full name spoken aloud he immediately took notice of the snide tone. He instantly turned to face its owner just in time to see a large rock fly at his face. Too tired to react and with no aura left to protect him Jack took the rock, stumbling to the ground. Weiss rushed to his aid, helping him to his feet while blood ran down his face from where the rock had cut him. Whatever feelings of warmth and comfort Jack had felt were quickly swept away as he reverted to his callous and guarded nature.

Yang, Demi, and Jaune all had their weapons ready, expecting another volley. None of them had been prepared for the villagers sudden shift in loyalty and the searing glares they received told them that they had overstayed their welcome. Jack, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. His gaze fell upon his assailant, the Inn keeper, and immediately he knew what had happened.

"You followed me, didn't you?" he asked.

"Course I did. Something about your friends just didn't feel right. I followed you back to the graveyard and watched you bury them all. I knew then who you were. Jack Brisbane, the demon child who terrorized us when we were young."

"If memory serves it was the other way round. You all treated me like an outcast while I did nothing to provoke you."

"You're a freak! That's reason enough."

"Yes, I am a freak. A freak who risked his life to save all of you," he spat in retort.

"Yea, we all know about your little show you put on. You can raise the dead and no doubt controlled those Grimm to come attack us."

"Are you so deluded that you'd think I could control those creatures? You'll believe anything so long as it fits with your reasonings for ostracizing anyone who's different from the rest of you. Besides, what proof do you have that I was even responsible?" he posed.

"How about Elizabeth?" the Inn keeper said.

Jack felt his blood run cold and his heart catch in his throat. He knew where he was going with this, what he was going to imply. He had to stop him. Why then wouldn't his legs move? Why couldn't he speak, to defend his innocence?

"We all know what happened. You went into the woods, made a deal with the devil. Gained the power to raise the dead and control the Grimm. Then you tested it out on your sister by getting her killed and raising her at her funeral. If we'd known better we would have filled your grave alongside hers."

Jack remained quiet. He knew the man was lying, twisting the details of that day to suit his story. Yet, he felt no compulsion to cry out, to point out the fault in his story. He could only stand there as blood ran down his face and onto the ground.

"Had she been smarter she might have survived."

Jack's blood, which had been ice just moments before, started boiling. It was one thing to assault his person, it was another thing entirely to assault his sister.

"What?" Jack said through gritted teeth.

"Wasn't it obvious? She was always meant to be mine. If she hadn't been taking care of you, she might have lived a good life. Instead, she ignorantly put your needs before her own. Damn ignorant woman."

Before anyone could react Jack lurched at the man. The Inn keeper took notice too little too late before he found himself pinned against a support beam, his feet dangling inches off the ground. He gasped for air as Jack's tight grip chocked the life from him. In desperation he looked to his fellow villagers, hoping for their aid, but saw only terrified gazes starring at him as they kept their distance.

"Don't you ever speak about my sister in that manner, you vile pig!" Jack seethed. "She never liked your advances. You were beneath her, a putrid human being who had no respect for a woman as loving as she was!"

"Jack, that's enough, let him go!" Weiss pleaded, attempting and failing to pull his arm from the man's throat.

"You were nothing. You could never have hoped to be anything close to good enough for her!"

"Jack, please, you're killing him!"

"He deserves to die! All of them do! This whole vile place deserves to be leveled, starting with him!"

SMACK! That one sound reverberated loudly in the cold morning air. Caught by surprise Jack released his captive, dropping him into the muddy ground. The man gasped for air, his lungs burning as he gulped in the cold oxygen. No one said anything. Jack stood there, surprised by what had happened, what Weiss had done. Weiss herself was mortified. She'd never expected this from Jack.

"We should go," Jack said quietly, after a long silence.

No one said anything. Wordlessly they gathered their things, leaving the room keys on the counter, and headed for the gate. The villagers all regarded them with obvious disgust. While they glared daggers at them no one dared approach Jack. Rather, they gave him a wide berth as he tromped through the mud. They hated him, that was for sure, but they feared him even more.

Silently the group marched onward. No one said anything. No one knew what to say. Events that had started out so pleasantly had quickly diverged into a downward spiral. Demi herself was especially surprised by the scene she'd witnessed. She wanted desperately to say something, to try and lift everyone's spirits while banishing their negative feelings but she could think of nothing.

Weiss occasionally glanced up at Jack. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scarred by what she'd seen. Her hand still burned from when she slapped him and even Jack seemed unbalanced by the whole affair. Looking at him closely, though, he wasn't just unbalanced, he was stumbling. His steps were beginning to falter and once or twice he almost tripped over his feet.

"Jack, you alright?" she asked, concerned though weary.

"I'm fine," he answered numbly. While he tried to hide it his face was unusually pale, despite having a fairly pale complexion to begin with. His eyes looked tired and the cut on his head had not yet healed but continued to bleed.

"Jack, stop for a moment, we need to take care of that wound."

"It's fine. It'll heal on it's own," he protested.

"You don't have any aura left. You need to rest or you'll get worse," she said, taking hold of his arm.

"I said I'm fine," he protested, wrenching his arm from her grip.

This proved to be a mistake as he lost all balance and started plummeting towards the ground. In desperation he reached out for a nearby tree, hoping to steady himself. Unfortunately he had little strength left in him to prop himself up. His arm pushed against the bark weakly before continuing on his course and into the muddy ground. Jack's perception of the world became hazy and his mind started to wander. He couldn't stay awake, despite the looks of concern he could vaguely see on everyone's faces. He thought he saw Weiss say something, asking him something, but he couldn't quiet hear voice.

Slowly he drifted away from reality. His body gave way to his exhaustion. _Rest. Yes, I should rest._ With these last thoughts Jack drifted into unconsciousness, his mind dead to all the world.

* * *

 **Apologies to all of my followers for the lateness of this chapter. Usually I post things sooner but I encountered some unfortunate computer problems. Once those were fixed I got distracted. By WoW. And it's a four day weekend for me right now so yea.**

 **Anyway, I'd been wanting to make this chapter for so long I could help but make sure it was absolutely perfect. This was going to be a very defining moment for my OC, a chance for him to truly shine. As you might have guessed the names of his daggers are related to the body. I wanted them to revolve around the overall theme of Jack's name alluding to his semblance.**

 **If you're wondering the poem he resists just before going into battle is called "Invictus." I really love this poem as I feel it had a sort of defiant feel to it, one that went perfectly with Jack's defiance of Salem. I also wanted to incorporate his defining "death is for certain" quote. I'd planned to use it more often throughout the story but honestly forgot about it until now.**

 **The next chapter is going to have a very heart to heart moment for Jack and Weiss. It's going to be one of the few times she sees him at his most vulnerable. Things are starting to get more and more exciting as we go along. Can't wait to write more.**

 **As always leave a review of what you thought of the story. I really hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. It's honestly my favorite thus far. Let me know what you think and I'll see you next time RWBY fans.**


	14. Chapter 13: Ghosts of a Lifetime Past

**Ghosts of a Lifetime Past**

 **Anima –? – Jack**

Jack sighed contently. After so many years he felt rested, at peace. All his troubles, all his worries were behind him. There was nothing to bother him now. A cool breeze drifted by as he lay in the warm sun. He didn't know where he was. He didn't really care. He was at peace, that's all that mattered.

As he lay there, Jack started to hear a woman's voice quietly singing. It was hauntingly familiar, both the song and the voice. He couldn't quite place his finger on it but he knew them both from somewhere. Opening his eyes, he gazed at his surroundings. He was back home in Hasiel, lying on the porch of his family home. He assumed he must be dreaming, reliving a long forgotten memory from his childhood. He soon realized, however, that it wasn't a memory. Jack was his normal adult self. This was strange. Jack never dreamed about himself as an adult. Only nightmares ever graced his mind when he slept and always about his childhood.

"I see you're awake," the woman said cheerfully.

Jack craned his neck to look at the woman speaking to him and felt his heart leap in his chest. Pale fair skin graced by long auburn hair and a pair of beautiful sky-blue eyes gazed down at him. Jack found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was impossible. Yet, here she was, singing the lullaby she'd created for him as a child.

"Elly?" he said, finally finding his voice.

"Hello little brother. It's so wonderful to see you after so long."

"Am I dreaming?" Jack asked, his mind wrestling with the reality of things.

"Yes and no," she said, her smile wavering as she spoke.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Jack," she began, hesitating for a moment as she searched for the words to say. "Are you happy with your life thus far?"

"What's that supposed mean?" he asked, puzzled by her response.

"If you were to die today, and given a chance to look back on everything you've accomplished, would you say you were truly happy?"

Jack sat up, seating himself next to his sister. Having grown up over the past decade or so he never realized just how petite Elizabeth had been. Now that he was older he was a full head taller than she. Looking her over she seemed so fragile. As a boy his sister seemed almost incapable to imperfection. She was the most important person in his life. She could do anything, be anything. Unfortunately, reality always has a nasty way of exerting its dominance over one's life.

"I'm dreaming," Jack said with a chuckle. "I have to admit; this is a new one for me. I never expected to have an unconscious intervention before. Can't say I disagree with my choice of a representation for my conscious. If I didn't know any better I would have expected a cricket with a top hat and umbrella," he said, laughing sadly to himself.

Elizabeth reached out and turned his head towards hers. Her hand felt warm to the touch, surprising Jack who had not expected such intricate details in a dream. "You're not dreaming, little brother. You're are unconscious, that much is for certain, but you are not dreaming. I am as real as you are right now."

"That's not possible," Jack said in retort. "You're dead. I watched you die."

"Death is not a permanent end. It's merely the conclusion of one journey and the beginning of an even grander one."

"Then how are we..." Jack trailed off, using hand motions to signify their conversation.

"It's simple, really, and at the same time terrifying. You're on the verge of death."

"Huh," Jack said, somehow not surprised by this revelation at all.

"Really? That's all you have to say for yourself?" she asked in mortified annoyance.

"We all have to die sometime," Jack said in a monotone voice.

"Jack, please be serious. I don't have much time here," she said, concerned. "Now, you haven't answered my question."

Jack was silent for a moment, thinking on what his sister had asked. He knew his answer wasn't going to be what she wanted to hear. Hell, even he didn't like it, but it was the truth nonetheless.

"Happiness isn't something I've been very familiar with," he admitted. "After you died, after I was left alone, happiness became a stranger in my life. All I knew was suffering, mistrust, and deceit. I've seldom known what it was like to truly let go and allow my feelings to lift me up. Even when I came close to feeling joy of some kind it was always a foreign feeling, an unnatural one that I quickly buried."

"What about now?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't feign ignorance with me, little brother. You've opened up over these past few weeks, haven't you? Try as you might to hide it life has started to give you reason to smile again, to feel happy again."

"If that is life's doing then it is merely a trap meant to lure me in like a worm on a hock before it leaves me to suffer in the noon day sun," he replied in a sour tone.

"Is that how you truly feel about her?" his sister asked coyly.

"Her?" Jack asked.

"Don't play dumb, you know exactly who I mean," Elizabeth chided him.

"Can't say that I do," Jack said stubbornly.

"You mean you won't admit to your feelings," she countered.

"Feelings can be misleading," he argued.

"Perhaps or perhaps you're just afraid to admit to yourself that you might be infatuated with this young girl," she prodded.

"That's being a little presumptuous," he said snidely. "Even if I did have something akin to affection towards this girl there's nothing to say she feels the same. At best I'd say she sees me more as a friend or brother figure," he reasoned.

"You don't know that. Weiss may very well see you in a different light. All you need is the courage to take that first step."

"Who says it's Weiss?" Jack retorted.

"Jack, please, I practically raised you. Even when you did try and fib to me, which was very rare, you could never pull the wool over my eyes."

"Even if you are right, even if Weiss does feel something for me, it could never work. We're from two completely different worlds, she and I. More so than that she is a woman who walks in the grace of a light generated by her friends and those she has come to care for. I have always been shrouded in darkness, shunned by the world simply because I refuse to conform to their standards. The light and the darkness do not mix, dear sister. They destroy or repel one another but they do not come together."

"And what if I told you you were wrong? What if there was proof that a child born of light and darkness does exist?"

"Then they have my sympathies," Jack said in a dour tone.

"She is stronger than you give her credit for," Elizabeth said with a knowing smile.

Jack glanced over at his sister, puzzled by her cryptic statement. He was about to ask what she was going on about when Jack was hit with a wave of nausea. Slowly his head started swimming as his eyes grew heavy and his sight dim. Without showing any surprise Elizabeth took hold of her brother and gently lowered him onto her lap. He laid back down, his head still spinning as his grip on reality faded.

"It seems our time is up, little brother. I'm sorry I wasn't able to spend more time with you."

"Elizabeth… where are you going?" he asked, trying his hardest to stay awake.

"Death has not come for you yet, Jack. You still have time left to reconsider. Let go of your grudge, little brother. Seek out the happiness that lays right beside you."

"Elizabeth," he said, attempting to reach out to her but grasped nothing but air.

Slowly Jack's sight grew dark. His body grew limp as his mind faded into sleep. He knew Elizabeth had left. He didn't feel it physically, rather, it was simply something he sensed. He was alone again. Just him and the darkness as it had always been.

Before long Jack's senses came back to him. He could hear the world around him and knew that, wherever he was, it was unfamiliar to him. The first thing Jack noticed was that he was lying on something soft. It wasn't grass, that much he knew for sure. It felt uncomfortable, unnatural, like the damn thing was trying to consume his body.

What was also apparent was how bright it was. Even with his eyes closed the light still hurt his eyes. Jack wished he had his glasses on. At least then he might be able to tolerate the light. Reaching his hand out he blindly started grasping around. His hand freed from the unfamiliar soft object he felt something made of wood nearby and soon retrieved his glasses sitting on top.

Now that he could see Jack took in his surroundings. For a moment he was confused as to where he was. However, his mind slowly caught up with him as he realized that the décor was reminiscent of a modest hotel. The bed he'd been sleeping in explained why he'd felt so uncomfortable and the drapes drawn back from the window explained why it had been so bright. The only question he had now was how he had ended up there.

As he shifted in the bed he looked over and noticed someone leaning against it, half asleep on the bed and half asleep in a chair. Her soft breathing and stark white hair was a dead giveaway that it was Weiss Schnee. The moment he noticed her his memories came flooding back. Absentmindedly he reached out a hand to touch the cut on his head. He found a bandage in its place, an indication that his aura had been depleted enough to warrant some extra care.

By now, though, his aura had been fully regenerated and Jack was growing tired of the overly soft mattress. He shifted his weight, attempting to crawl out from under the covers without disturbing Weiss. His efforts backfired, however, as his shifting caused the light sleeper to wake up almost instantly.

"Good morning," Jack managed to say apologetically.

"Jack, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Weiss asked in obvious surprise.

"A little uncomfortable, to be honest. I haven't slept in a real bed in ages."

You were soaked through the bone. If we had laid you in the tub you would've caught phenomena," Weiss said.

"At least I would have been comfortable," he joked.

Weiss gave him a sharp glare that showed she wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"So, how bad was I?" he asked, dropping all humor in his voice.

"Well, you were unconscious for quite some time so we weren't sure how you were doing."

"That's not what I meant," Jack said.

"You mean your overall attitude?" Weiss asked. Jack nodded, feeling apprehensive about what she might say.

"You were a complete jerk, there's no denying that," she said unsympathetically. "Not to mention your reaction to the inn keeper's comment was overly hostile."

"I see," Jack said, feeling more ashamed by how Weiss now saw him rather than how he'd acted.

"Jack," she began, hesitating for a moment as she carefully constructed her question. "What that man said, about your sister. What really happened?"

Jack was silent for a while. He starred off into space, causing Weiss to think he was ignoring the question, but his facial expressions showed that he was carefully considering his answer. He shifted in the bed, pulling himself up into a sitting position that allowed him to lean against the wall as he spoke.

In the process of moving he exposed his bare chest. Weiss blushed and quickly turned away. She expected him to make a crack about her embarrassment but when he said nothing she turned to look at him. He was still deep in thought, unaware of Weiss' reaction. Stealing a glance at him she noticed to her surprise that Jack's whole chest was covered in scars.

While he was nonetheless well toned for a man his age this feature was hidden beneath various scars he had accumulated over the years. She could denote smooth, even strokes, probably from weapons such as swords or knives. There were harsh, jagged ones that were obviously from Grimm who had managed to get in a lucky strike. Along his sides and disappearing onto his back, however, were some odd ones she couldn't quite make out. They are smooth but so closely grouped together that it seemed as if he had been struck multiple times in the same area.

"Weiss, may I ask you a question," Jack said, cutting into the silence.

"Oh, um, sure," she said, jolted from her thoughts.

"What was your childhood like?"

Weiss took a moment to think. It was not an unusual question to be sure but it wasn't exactly something she had expected him to ask either.

"It was fairly normal, or as normal a childhood can be for someone growing up in a family of privilege."

"Describe it to me," he said.

"It's what you would expect it to be. I got anything and everything I wanted. I ate all the best food, wore the latest fashions, went to the most lavish parties. I could do whatever I wanted," she said before her small smile faltered into a frown, "so long as I did what I was told. Spoke only when spoken to. Didn't speak out of turn. Did everything my father wanted me to."

"It was a privileged life, that much is true, but it was one that was slowly suffocating me the more time passed."

"What about your sister? From what I've gathered you two must be very close."

"We are," Weiss agreed, the smile returning to her face. "She and I have been close ever since I was little. She was the only person who ever encouraged me to become a huntress and attend Beacon."

"I take it your father didn't exactly approve of your decision?"

"He was furious," Weiss said with a grin. Jack smiled widely, amused by her reaction. "Up until I left Winter trained me. Everything I've learned, all of my skills, were drilled into me by sister. She was more than just a sister to me."

"I know what you mean," Jack said, his smile wavering for a moment as he reflected on his past.

"I never really knew my parents," he said. "By that I mean we never interacted enough for me to consider them a part of my life," he added upon seeing Weiss' look of surprise.

"I was born a very sickly child. It's actually why my skin is so pale and why I have very little hair."

"I thought those were just your sense in fashion," Weiss said jokingly.

"No," he said in a deadpan tone, obviously unamused.

"My mother was a very religious woman. After I was born and my apparent health had been diagnosed she chose to spend her days at the local church in prayer rather than caring for me. She believed more in her faith being paramount in making her son better rather than actually attempting to make me better through medicine."

"My father wasn't much better. The breadwinner of the family, he spent his days working in the local dust mine. From dawn till dusk he worked, barely even uttering a word when he was home or acknowledging my presence when he was around."

"Despite their short comings my parents did have the good sense to leave me in the care of my elder sister." Jack smiled, his tone becoming audibly more cheerful as he spoke.

"She was everything to me as a child. She was my mother, my life, my encouragement. She was the only person who ever believed I could be greater than the bad hand life had dealt me."

"She sounds wonderful," Weiss commented.

"She was. I wish you could have met her," Jack said in a nostalgic tone. "She was the one who encouraged me to become a huntsman."

"Something like that wasn't a very realistic goal for the people of my village. Not only were we dirt poor but my poor health made any possibility of my becoming a hunter null and void. Still, I'd spend my days pretending I was a great huntsman, fighting off hordes of Grimm with a stick for a sword, until my lungs burned from exhaustion and I'd have to go back inside to rest."

"Even then Elizabeth never once tried to dissuade me from my dream. Not even when I had to be homeschool after my health made me bedridden for nearly a year. Right up until the end she made me believe that my dream was a possibility. All I had to do was reach out and grab it."

"What happened to her?" Weiss asked. Almost immediately she wished she could take back her words. She didn't know what had come over her to ask such a personal question.

Jack's smile immediately disappeared. His expression darkened as the memory of that day came back to him crystal clear. Weiss attempted to apologize but was surprised when Jack answered the question regardless.

"I was six, at the time. My birthday had just come and gone. I'd been given my first present, that wooden sword I showed you at our house. Then more than ever I was determined to become a huntsman. I'd travel to Haven and learn as much as I could. Nothing was going to stand in my way."

"Then, one day, I decided to do something incredibly stupid," he said, taking a deep breath as he attempted to push back the tears that were threatening to form in his eyes. "I ventured out into the woods. I stayed on the outskirts, close to the village. Children were forbidden from going into the woods alone but I didn't care. With my sword in hand I felt courageous enough to tackle them and anything that threatened me."

"I never heard it approach. All I heard was its deep breathing and the sound of crunching leaves under its paws. I didn't even have to turn around to feel the fear and anxiety that its very presence caused."

"When I finally did manage to face it, and look into its deep crimson eyes, I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream. I was so scarred I lost any ability to fight or flee. Neither would have done me much good, though. I never stood a chance of surviving."

"The next thing I remember was my sister screaming out my name. It was enough to jolt me back to reality just long to stumble towards the village. I'd never seen her so panicked before. She raced into the woods, scooped me up into arms and bolted for the safety of the village with the Beowulf in hot pursuit."

"Her screams had attracted people from the village armed with whatever they could find in order to repel the creature. It wasn't enough. Before we made it to safety Elly…" Jack chocked on the words, a few stray tears rolling down his face as he spoke, "she was attacked from behind."

He wiped the tears away only to have fresh ones replace them. "There was nothing we could do. The wounds were too deep. By the time we managed to call for a doctor she was gone."

Weiss reached out and took Jack's hand in her own. Listening to him speak she found herself on the verge of tears as well. She gripped his hand tightly, letting him know she was there for support. Jack returned the feeling by squeezing her hand in his.

"We held her funeral a week later. Try as I might I just couldn't accept the fact that Elly was dead. I let my feelings overcome me and, due to the stress brought on by my emotions, I unlocked my aura and subsequently discovered my semblance in the process."

"As a child my poor health had always put a distance between me and the rest of the village. The moment my semblance revealed itself any attempts to close that distance became marred with hostility," he said darkly.

"I saw. You weren't kidding when you said your village didn't take kindly to outsiders."

"It was actually worse than that," Jack said.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

Shifting his weight Jack turned himself so that his back was visible. Weiss gasped in silent horror at the sight that greeted her eyes. While mostly faded from the course of time there were visible lash marks all over his back. Absentmindedly Weiss reached out and ran her fingers over the numerous scars. Jack shuttered at her touch but made no attempts to dissuade her. She felt the uneven ridge lines from his scars and couldn't help but shutter herself at the thought of having been given so many unwarranted reminders of his past.

"How could they do this to you?"

"It was simple. I was a freak. No one cared what happened."

"But for the adults to do this to a child- "

"The adults didn't do anything," Jack interrupted. "In fact, they simply stood by and watched as their children beat me and whipped me with switches."

"Switches?" Weiss asked, almost afraid to know what they were.

"Thin sticks that are surprisingly bendy. The adults would sometimes use them to discipline unruly children. Obviously they saw me as someone deserving of such treatment."

"The torture I received from the village, however, was nothing compared to my life at home. My father's absence from my life became even more pronounced after the funeral. He took extra shifts to give himself an excuse to stay away from the house. Even when he was home, if we were ever in the same room together, he would get up and leave immediately, avoiding all possible contact with me in the process. The worst, unfortunately, came from my mother."

"With Elly's death I found myself more alone than I ever thought possible. I had no friends and I did everything I could to avoid going into the village for fear of being attacked. Unfortunately, a day came when I had to venture out. There was no food in the house and, with my parents elsewhere, I had to run the risk of getting sustenance myself. I took some lien with me and ventured into town hoping to get something, anything to eat."

"I wasn't there long when a group of children spotted me and made a beeline for me. By this point in time I was pretty good at running away from my attackers and, after some time, I managed to lose them. I slipped into an alley way and made my way to the local church. I hoped to find some solace inside as no one dared to cause trouble inside a holy building."

"It was the biggest mistake of my life," he said, anger evident in his voice.

"I went inside, keeping to the shadows in order to avoid being noticed. I knew no one would attack me but I doubted they were above throwing me out to the mercy of my pursuers. I wondered around for a bit and was surprised to see my mother inside, praying. I crept up to her, hopeful that I might find some solace in her presence. What I heard her say, though, was the last nail in the coffin."

"Jack, you don't have to- "

"She called me the devil's child," he said, ignoring Weiss or rather too engrossed in his past to notice. "My own mother, the woman who gave birth to me, completely rejected me."

Jack was soon overcome with emotion but rather than cry her started laughing. He laughed harder, finding some sick irony in what had happened while Weiss looked on with a mixture of surprise and apprehension. Before long, though, Jack's laughter morphed into crying. Try as he might he was unable to hold back the tears and was soon trembling with anger. His knuckles turned white as he clenched them, unable to contain his feelings.

Weiss was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure of what to say or what to do. Instinctively she reached out to him, pulling him close as the tears continued to fall. He leaned into her shoulder, staining her dress as he sobbed. Tenderly she patted his head, realizing that he was in great deal of pain, much of which he had been holding back for so many years.

"How could she say that?" he said in-between sobs. "I was her son. I was her son! How could she abandon me like that?"

After a while his sobs died down until he was wiping away latent tears. His eyes were bloodshot from all the crying and he was strangely quiet. Weiss squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring look. Jack attempted to smile back but found it too much of an effort. Reflecting on the events of his childhood was always a depressing subject for him and a rather draining one at that.

"I ran away after that," he said, continuing on with his story. "I returned home, took what little money I could find, slipped out and never looked back."

"Where did you go?"

"Anywhere, so long as it led away from the village," he answered solemnly. "The money didn't last long, obviously. I took on odd jobs just to get by. I actually stumbled onto bounty hunting by chance."

"I tripped up a mugger on the street one day. I was about seven at the time and the man was twice my size. However, the authorities were close behind. By the time he had recovered they were already on top of him. I was given a small reward for my involvement in his capture. Since then I've been doing nothing but hunt people for a living."

"Seven? That sounds a little young to become a hunter," Weiss commented.

"The regulations for bounty hunting are fairly lax. I've known of other bounty hunters who've taken on apprentices that were younger than I was. Only difference is that I had to teach myself everything from scratch rather than being mentored."

"What about the academy? I thought you had wanted to become a Huntsman."

"I did but there were more obstacles preventing me from achieving that goal than I'd first realized. Apart from money I'd also have to have my parent's or guardian's permission to begin attending. Seeing as how I had no intention of returning home, let alone speak to my parents, I gave up on that dream."

"In the end I took what I could get and made the best of it. Now, over a decade later, I' one of the best Bounty Hunters on Remnant."

"Still, that must have been difficult."

"I've never known anything else, Weiss," he said sadly. "This is the life I've chosen. Regardless of how I feel about it I intend to see it through."

"You don't have to see it through alone, though," Weiss said comfortingly.

Jack looked over into Weiss' eyes. Her light-blue eyes shown with kindness and sympathy. It was difficult for him to look at her and not feel something drawing him in. Almost as if on cue his mind went back to the strange dream he'd experience with his sister. He started to wonder if she had really been telling the truth. Did Weiss see him as something more than a friend?

"Weiss, I want to ask you something," he said.

"Of course."

"When we get to Vale, when we get your friends to safety, what do you plan on doing after that?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't really given it much thought."

"You do realize that your father will continue to send people after you."

"Of course I know that," she retorted in an apprehensive tone.

"What if you were to come with me?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I know most of Remnant better than anyone else. I've been all over the world. It wouldn't be difficult for me to help you disappear."

"Jack, I understand what you're saying but I have no intention of running from my father forever. I plan to retake my family's company and restore it to what it once was."

"I know, which is why I want to help you. Right now you're cut off financially and lacking greatly in resources. Tagging along with me will give you an edge, a chance to prepare to retake your birthright while maintaining some anonymity that'll prevent your father from interfering."

"Jack, I can't let you do this."

"Of course you can," he argued. "I don't doubt your friends' loyalty but even they can only risk so much. I have nothing to loss in this endeavor. I want you to use me to help achieve your goal."

"Jack, why would you want to help me do this?" Weiss questioned him, confused and concerned.

"I have my reasons," Jack said simply.

"And what are those reasons?" Weiss pressed.

Jack looked at Weiss. She gazed back at him. Jack knew the answer but he was afraid. He'd never done something like this before. He'd always lived and fought for himself, thinking only of his needs. Now that he had someone he cared about, someone whom he wanted to help succeed admitting his reasons for doing so was a challenge. He was afraid of what she might say, of what she might think, of how she might feel. It was a 50/50 chance yet it felt like the odds were stacked against him.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer Yang and Demi walked in the room, a welcome distraction from the conversation they were having.

"Jack, you're wake?" Demi said happily. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, though a bit uncomfortable."

"How come?" Yang asked.

"I'm not used to sleeping in a bed," he admitted.

"I'm surprised you can sleep in a tub at all."

"You get used to it," Jack said, moving to get out of the bed.

"Jack, hold on!" Demi said.

"What?" Why?"

"What you mean why? Why do you think?" Yang asked.

"I don't understand," Jack said, confused.

"Think about it. When we brought you here you were drenched clean through from the rain."

Jack immediately caught on and, as discreetly as he could, took a peak under the sheets. Weiss blushed, realizing what must be going through his head. Jack looked up, his face turning a light pink.

"Yang, where are my pants?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

"Well, considering how much it rained and the fact that you took a face plant in the mud, we had to get them washed. They should be clean by now, though."

"I see and who all undressed me?"

"About that. Considering the circumstances, it was a group effort to get you upstairs and undress before your condition worsened."

"Are you telling me everyone saw me?" he asked, his tone becoming more unstable as a result.

"Pretty much. Have to say, for a pale, skinny guy, you're well developed," Yang said with a devilish grin.

Jack's face turned a deep red as he buried his face in his hands. Weiss would have helped him in not for the fact that she was too embarrassed to even move.

"Demi, I want you to go get my cloths and everyone else is to leave the room. Now," he instructed.

"A thank you would be nice," Yang chimed in but a sharp glare from Jack told her he was far from a thanking mood.

Without another word she left the room, Weiss hot on her heals, as Demi rushed off to get his clean cloths.

"Well, Elizabeth was correct about one thing," he commented to himself. "I'm on death's door because I'm going to die of embarrassment."

 **This chapter took me a while to make. I'm currently in the process of moving so things have been a little hectic for me. I also had to rewrite certain parts of this chapter simply because I didn't like how I was painting the scene or characters or the mood just didn't work. Basically I spent a lot of time just trying to make things work and still be interesting without being overly dramatic.**

 **This is one of the chapters that I have been planning for a while. I basically wanted to have a point where Jack was pushed to the edge both physically and emotionally enabling Weiss to see him at his most vulnerable. I had originally envisioned it with Demi in mind to have a sort of father-daughter moment between the two of them but I decided to switch her out with Weiss to add more depth to their relationship.**

 **While I know the beginning may be confusing let me clarify some things. Elizabeth is dead. What Jack saw was basically a vision of his sister due to the fact that he was very close to death himself. It doesn't have anything to do with her semblance because she doesn't have one. Hopefully that takes care of that.**

 **The next update may not happen for a while. I'm currently trying to come up with a good addition to this one. Basically their relationship is about to get whole lot more complicated and, while it may seem like I'm rushing things, bare with me on this.**

 **On a related note I'm actually planning to add a few little story extras once this part of the story is finished. I'm going to post a character sheet for Jack along with a sort of soundtrack list to go along with key moments in the story. Let me know what you think of this idea.**


	15. Chapter 14: The Next Step

**The Next Step**

 **Anima – Hotel Room – Jack**

Jack sat at the small table provided for his room, the top littered with various bottles and herbs he had gathered or purchased. For the past few days while he was recovering from his visit to his home he spent his free time breaking down ingredients for later use. Since his interaction with Weiss only a few days earlier some things had become apparent to him.

The first was that he found himself paying closer attention to her at meals. He would focus on specific details, her eyes, her lips, her skin, her hair, and become entranced with its beauty and detail. Whenever she ventured a glance his way he'd quickly divert his attention back towards his food but anytime he looked back he noticed her cheeks were always tinged with a shade of pink. He wondered if perhaps she had noticed him starring at her.

In truth he was unable to decide what this meant. Part of him wanted to believe that she felt the same way and might see his glances as flattering, a small gesture that he couldn't help but admire her and be drawn towards her. However, a greater part of him believed the exact opposite. He wondered if, perhaps, she found his constant starring creepy and unwanted. While this was a self defeating and pessimistic viewpoint his actions back in Hasiel gave him strong supporting evidence for this theory. In the end he was in a constant emotional battle with himself, unable to decipher Weiss' subtle gestures to truly know how she felt about him.

One thing that did bother him more than any of this, however, was the dream he'd had regarding his sister. Much of what they spoke about still left him feeling confused and in the dark. Her encouragement to speak with Weiss about his feelings, however well meaning they may have been, were ones that gave him greater reason to doubt that the outcome would be in his favor. His sister was dead, after all, and the dead couldn't possibly know anything too significant regarding the living, could they?"

On top of this he still couldn't make heads or tails in regards to her cryptic allusion to a child born of Light and Darkness. He wondered if, perhaps, she was talking about Weiss. He had met her father on a few rare occasions and even chanced to meet her mother as well. While he could no doubt see her father as being representative of the Darkness, her mother, on the other hand, was far from being a representative of Light. Maybe, at one point on her life, she had been. Unfortunately, time, the circumstances of her marriage, and massive amounts of alcohol had certainly taken their toll on the woman. If there was light within her it was buried deep within.

There was, of course, the possibility that she was alluding to someone else entirely. He had considered the options and, recalling everything his sister had said, found himself wondering if she had been alluding the possibility of Weiss and himself having a child. It was wishful thinking, at best, although he could see how each of them represented the Light and the Dark. Not just taking their backgrounds into account but the nature of their semblances showed aspects strongly associated with both sides. To put it simply Weiss' ability to resurrect her fallen foes to aid her was certainly an aspect of Light while his own ability to raise and manipulate the dead had always been seen as a strong representation of Darkness.

Still, all of this came right back to the question of how Weiss felt about him. Did she truly feel attracted to him, as his sister had more or less assured him, or was she simply attempting to hide her overwhelming feelings of distrust and distress from being in his presence? He knew that there was only one way to know for sure but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't that it was out of the question, rather, it was something far more simple than that. He was afraid. He feared to truth and more than that he feared that she would reject his feelings rather than reciprocate them. He was afraid and fear, when used in the right fashion, can be a most effective deterrent.

Lost in his thoughts Jack paid little mind to the herbs that he was slowly but surly grounding into dust rather than a fine powder. In was only after he heard a loud banging on his hotel room door that he was abruptly brought back to reality. Setting his mortar and pestle aside he quickly went to the door to see who it was. He figured it must be either Yang or Nora. Only they would be banging on the door with such fervor. The moment he opened it, however, he felt a wave of cold sweat hit him. It was if she had read his mind and instinctively came to his door in response.

"It's about time you opened the door. I was beginning to wonder if you were asleep," Weiss said.

"Sorry, I was preoccupied," Jack said, embarrassed.

"What have you been doing?" Weiss asked as she walked into the room.

"I've been grounding ingredients into powder. It helps me to think while I work."

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Weiss asked.

"I have," he answered.

"Then why is the bed still made? It looks like it hasn't been slept in at all," Weiss commented.

"I have been resting," Jack said, taking his seat back at the table.

"Please tell me it hasn't been in the tub," Weiss complained.

"If it makes you feel any better I have been taking the comforter from the bed to sleep with, just to give me some added warmth."

Weiss gave him an icy glare. Jack knew that she was concerned for his health but, honestly, he was fine. He had more pressing issues to worry about than his health.

"I can't sleep in the bed, its much too soft," he argued. "Besides, if I do get sick I'm more than capable of making myself some medicine."

"I'd still prefer you slept in an actual bed. Sleeping in that tub cannot be healthy," she replied.

She took a seat opposite him and watched as he worked. While her presence was pleasant to have Jack couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He tried to focus on his work but found his eyes wondering up to Weiss. Just like before he would catch her starring at him before quickly looking away. With the tables turned Jack started to wonder how she felt about him.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," she said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"Where did you learn how to do this? It certainly isn't something that's widely taught."

"I learned how to do this several years ago from an old apothecary in Northern Anima. She'd been doing this for years and was quite the expert on the subject."

"What was she like?"

"Rude, unapologetic, crass, and a bit of an asshole at times," Jack rattled off.

Jack looked up to see Weiss staring back at him. From her expression he could tell she as trying to discern if he was joking or not but after a while she realized he was being completely serious.

"Sounds like a real charmer," she commented.

"Oh, and she was also blind as a bat to," he added.

"Wait, what?"

"Yep, surprised me to," Jack said, smiling a little as he reflected on past events.

"I had just arrived in her village looking for work. At the time I was still trying to get my bearings with being a bounty hunter which, unfortunately, meant I had to perform a lot of odd jobs just to be able to survive.

Her name was Kore. She was the village apothecary as well as their doctor. She was the only one for miles which meant, despite her sour attitude, if you needed a cure for what ails you then she was the person to see. No one liked her, obviously, but they couldn't argue with the results. Woman knew her stuff."

"How? I'd assume that her inability to see made it rather difficult," Weiss argued.

"She used her other senses. Without her sight she relied on her hearing to listen to a person's breathing and heart rate. She would feel the texture of their skin to feel how rough, clammy, or sweaty it was. She'd smell their breath or other odors and even taste their skin and sweat to discern the route cause. Occasionally, she'd have someone describe the person's appearance, especially their eyes, to give her a greater depth of discernment. All in all, the woman had proven that, even without her eyes, she could still detect the sickness in anyone."

"That's incredible. And she offered to teach you?" Weiss asked.

"Ha!" Jack replied, bursting into laughter at her assumption. "By the gods, no. She kicked me out the first day I tried to ask for a job."

"Oh," Weiss said, a little disappointed by his reaction. "How did you learn?"

"I was persistent. I took on odd jobs around the village, always making a point to visit her store whenever someone came in needing medicine. I'd watch her mix the ingredients, discern their ailment, and prescribe what was needed. She always knew when I was there and scolded me for intruding on her work but she never kicked me out.

Then, one day out of the blue, she asked me to help her mix some ingredients for a client. So I started mixing things, adding in the necessary portions of each herb, all the while listening to her complain _You're putting in too much, you're not adding enough, speed it up, the sickness isn't going to wait for you while you take your time, don't grind it into dust, this is an apothecary not a dust mining operation!_ Damn woman almost screeched my ears off," he said, a nostalgic smile playing across his face.

"I worked with her for nearly a year, learning everything from identifying illnesses to memorizing the many beneficial effects of some herbs and the fatal effects of others. I ground routs and leaves into powder for so long I started to get calluses on my hands. The more I worked with her, though, the less I heard her complain. Then, towards the end of my stay, I found she had become unnaturally quiet. I didn't think much of it but it started to bother me until I finally worked up the nerve to ask what was on her mind.

She confided in me something that I could never truly understand. She was dying, not sure when or how she knew but it was going to happen soon. There was nothing to be done about it either. She told me that, up until I arrived in town, she'd assumed her knowledge would die with her. However, after spending so much time with me she asked me if I would take over the shop for her when she passed."

"What did you say?" Weiss inquired, engrossed in the story.

"I didn't say anything at first. I honestly didn't know how to answer. She had never been married and thus had no children or grandchildren to carry on the family tradition. I considered it but, honestly, after the events that I had experience back home, settling down in another village didn't appeal to me."

"So you rejected her offer," Weiss concluded.

"Not really," Jack corrected. "When she passed she left everything to me. I still own the shop, though, I don't operate out of it all too often. Thankfully it's become easier for people to go and see a doctor in the area, however, I tend to stop by during the winter season just to check the stock and help out when needed. Once the snows hit it becomes difficult for some to venture out from their village."

"Well, at least it hasn't gone to waste," Weiss said with a smile.

"Indeed," he agreed.

"Hey Jack, I was wondering if um," Weiss began, her eyes flickering to the mortar and pestle.

"You want to give it a try?" he asked, rising from his seat to offer it to her.

Weiss walked over, seating herself down before taking the mortar in hand. Jack took some nearby ingredients and placed them in the pestle for her to use. He had chosen some relatively easy herbs to grind to make it easier for her to learn. Having watched him work Weiss attempted to imitate his movements. While it had looked relatively simple in reality there was a lot more effort that went into it than she had anticipated.

"Use the mortar to crush the herbs first. Make them smaller before you start to grind."

"I'm trying," Weiss said, putting more effort into her strokes.

"Here, let me help," he said.

Before Weiss had a chance to protest Jack hand slipped himself behind her and placed his hand over hers. She blushed slightly, feeling the roughness of his hand cupping hers, as he moved her hand in a clockwise motion. It was obvious to her that Jack had truly become an expert in his field as his movements felt natural. Before long she began to notice a rhythm to his work and began to follow suit.

While she'd gained a grasp on things Jack had yet to remove his hand from hers. She didn't feel the need to complain. Honestly, she rather liked having him this close to her. After a while, though, she took a moment to glance up at her instructor. She was surprised to see that he was standing so close to her, their faces almost inches from one another, as his eyes focused on the pestle.

It didn't take long for Jack to realize that she was staring up at him and the moment he realized this his movements stopped. His eyes meet hers, neither of them saying a word. Jack's eyes, while always so confident, held surprise and a subtle fear in them. It was something she hadn't seen before. She could feel his hot breath on her skin and began to feel the urge to draw closer to him. Jack must have felt the same way as he slowly began to close the distance to her.

Neither of them said anything. Neither of them really could say a word. As their lips touched all Weiss could think was how soft his felt and Jack could only focus on the warmth of her own. Before long Jack's hand ventured from the mortar to her face, stroking it longingly as they continued. Jack's lips started to move more aggressively, something Weiss found somewhat appealing. After a while they stopped to catch their breath, neither of them capable of saying anything. There were a million questions crossing their minds, all of them needing to be answered, but they were lost in the moment as they dove back in.

Jack's other hand soon took hold of her back, drawing her petite figure into himself as Weiss eagerly obeyed. They were lost in an ocean of feelings and desires and instinct, neither of them knowing what to do but somehow finding they were able to follow the steps to a dance that somehow felt buried deep within their souls. In later years Jack would look back on this moment as a turning point in his life. It was the moment he chose Weiss above all else. Pity it was also the moment things began to take a turn for the worst.

 **Mistral – Airship Hangar – Airship Pilot**

It was a clear night out on the Mistral Airstrip. Perfect weather for flying. All things considered it was going to be a good job for him to undertake. Then why was it that he had this uneasy feeling in the back of his mind. It wasn't something he felt too often. When he first started performing "off the books" operations that feeling would always be nagging him, afraid that he might be caught or discovered before or after their flight. Nowadays that feeling only arose when he was unsure of the cargo he was transporting.

Normally he didn't transport people. Too many variables to take into consideration. What's more the manner in which the job was offered to him raised a lot of red flags. He'd been convinced by a third party to transport someone from Mistral straight into the heart of Atlas. With the Kingdom's capital having closed off its borders it was almost impossible for people to get through. Lucky for him he had the connections and papers to allow him easy entry. However, there were still the checkpoints to consider and any surprise inspections at one could cost him everything.

As he smoked a cigarette to help calm his nerves he heard the sound of boots on the tarmac. He glanced over, expecting to see a guard on patrol or some such but was surprised to an older gentleman in a trench coat approaching him. The man was old, defiantly in his late sixties or early seventies, however the way he held himself spoke of a military lifestyle. As the man walked under the overhead lights he caught a glimpse of a uniform beneath his coat but was unable to make out any rank designations.

"Are you the pilot?" the man asked in a gruff, dignified voice.

The pilot flicked away his finished cigarette, giving the him a once over. "Depends on who's asking," he remarked.

"Someone interested in purchasing your services," he replied, pulling out a large stack of Lien from inside his coat.

The pilot took the stack, checking each one of the Lien to insure they were real. Once he was satisfied he pocketed the cash and escorted the man into the hanger. Inside they found his ship, an older model transport, waiting for them. Before stepping on board, however, he briefed his passenger on the terms and conditions for flying with him.

"Well be heading out soon. You'll be allowed to stay in the main loading bay until we reach the Solitas boarder at which point I'll have you move into the lower hold. You're to stay there until I give the all clear. It may be a while so get comfortable. Also, if we happen to be boarded and searched don't expect me to vouch for you. As far as I'm concerned your life is in your own hands."

"I understand, though I doubt we'll have much trouble getting in."

"Right," the man said, unsure of the man's confidence. "Well then, let's get started. By the way, I don't mean to sound rude but do you have a name, something I can call you by to let you know when to switch to the lower hold?"

"Just call me James," the man said.

 **Anima – Hotel Room – Weiss**

Weiss lay contently in the bed, feeling as comfortable and relaxed as she had ever been. In truth she couldn't quite recall the last time she felt this relaxed. The bed was warm and felt wonderful against her skin as she moved under the sheets. As she turned in her sleep her hand landed against the other side of the bed. Strangely enough it felt oddly warm despite being empty. Cracking open an eye she noticed that it had the outline of another body, the covers having been pushed aside as if someone had removed themselves from it.

She starred at it for a while, confused by it for some reason. Slowly, though, her thoughts began to come back to her and a realization struck her like a sour note during a rehearsal. The sound of grinding stone caught her attention, alerting her to another presence in the room and she shot up, pulling the covers close to conceal her naked body. Sitting at the table with his back turned to her was Jack. He was fully clothed, something she found odd until she considered just how long she may have been asleep.

Frantically she began scanning the room, looking for her own cloths. She was surprised to see that they were set on the edge of the bed, neatly folded, as if waiting for her. She soon realized that Jack must have left them for her, knowing that she would want them once she woke. As quietly as she cold she attempted to reach out and grab them without alerting Jack. Unfortunately, the man had excellent hearing as the ruffle of the sheets caught his attention. He stopped what he was doing, turning only slight to catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye but nonetheless allowing her to maintain some semblance of privacy.

"You're awake. How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Um, good, really good. How about you?"

"Good as well."

"That's good," she answered.

The awkward conversation only added to the awkward silence that followed. Neither of them knew what to say. Neither of them had ever been in a situation quite like this. Like a couple of nervous school children, they racked their brains for something, anything to cut through the silence without making things worse.

"I left you something on the table," Jack finally said.

"What is it?" she asked, noticing a small white pill sitting next to a glass of water.

"It's a contraceptive pill, you know, just in case," he said.

"Oh, thank you," she said, immediately tossing the pill in before draining the glass.

"Weiss, um…" he started, stumbling over his words as he spoke.

"Yes?" she asked, a little bit curious about what he had to say.

"Do you dream?" he asked.

"What?" she replied, confused by the odd question.

"Do you dream? Do you dream of home, of people you've met, stuff like that?"

"Yes, of course I do," she said, a little annoyed by his inquiry.

"What do you dream about?"

"Well, home mostly. I dream about training with my sister Winter. I dream about things I used to do at home or my father. Sometimes, I even dream of my grandfather," she said, the last part having a sad tone to it.

"I see. That's good. I envy that, you know?"

"Why?"

"I don't dream," he answered, "or rather, I've only ever had nightmares."

"That's… terrible," she said, unable to think of anything to lessen the initial blow.

"I've gotten used to it. I learned to pull myself out of the dream before it got to hostile. Always, it would entail some memory of my childhood, some event that I had tried to suppress of forget. When I was sick, however, and you were taking care of me I had my first real dream in a long time."

"What was it about?"

"It was about my sister, Elizabeth. Funny enough I was the same age I am now in my dream, which is something that never happens. She spoke to me, chiding me almost on things that were happening in my life, on events that had taken place. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was my brain's way of performing an intervention. Considering all that's happened I can't say I blame it."

"What did you two talk about?" Weiss asked, becoming more intrigued with his dream by the minute.

"She asked me if I was happy. She asked me, if were to die today, would I die a happy man? Could I look back on my life and say that I lived a full life, with no regrets. I never really answered her question."

"So what would you answer have been?"

"Hmm?" Jack asked, shifting in his chair to look over at Weiss.

"Are you truly happy Jack?"

Jack thought on this for a moment. It was odd, being interrogated by his sister only to have the same thing happen to him in the real world. Yet now he was starting to think that he might actually have an answer for her. To say that he was happy wasn't something he could say with full confidence. However, he was beginning to find a greater reason to push forward in his life. Before now he'd lived only for himself, refusing to die or be defeated simply out of spite. Now, though, he felt he might actually have a connection to someone who was quickly becoming his anchor to this world. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. He wanted to live with her.

"Weiss, there's something that's been on my mind lately, something I feel you should know. I ask that you let me say everything on my mind first and then give me your answer after word, understand?"

Weiss nodded in agreement. She could tell how serious Jack was. It frightened her a little and at the same time it excited her. It was an odd feeling, one that filled her with exhilaration. Thinking on it she realized it was the same feeling she had when they… Weiss blushed. Well, needless to say it was fairly similar.

"When I left home I left with no clear goal in mind. I spent every moment of everyday simply trying to get by. Every action was meant to help me survive from one moment to the next. Becoming a bounty hunter didn't improve this philosophy. In fact, I'd say it emphasized it. I trusted no one but myself, making it nearly impossible for me the have a meaningful relationship of any kind, although how I managed to become such good friends with Qrow Branwen is a mystery unto itself.

When I first met you and your friends I didn't think much of it. You were just another job to me, a paycheck. However, watching how you all interacted and having you all include me in your interactions came as a surprise to me. I'd never had that before. I've never known what it means to be included in something meaningful."

Abruptly Jack got out of his seat and walked over to the bed. Weiss said nothing in protest and waited patiently as he took a seat on the beds edge. He was silent for a moment, staring down at the floor as he worked up the courage to say something.

"I'm not sure when it happened but, somewhere along the line, I started to see you in a different light. I started paying closer attention, finding myself wanting to be around you more. I couldn't quite place this feeling. I wasn't sure what to call it. More than that I wanted to know if you felt the same way but I was too afraid of what you might say. For all my self reliance and tough exterior, I was too afraid of being rejected to know the truth.

Obviously we can't change what's happened today. Honestly, if given the choice I'm not sure I'd want to change anything. What I do know is this. I like you, Weiss Schnee, and I may be even starting to love you. I understand if you can't reciprocate those feelings and if so I'm alright with that. All I ask is that you allow me to accompany you on your journey. I know you plan to retake your family's company and I want to help you do that. Even if this is where we draw the line in our relationship I'll be fine with just that."

Weiss, who had been listening intently to Jack speak, felt incredibly moved by what he had said. Touched by his words she leaned towards him, drawing his face towards hers, before kissing him warmly. Jack was surprised by the sudden but not at all unpleasant reply from her.

"I like you to, Jack," she said softly. "And I do want you to come with me. I want you to be by my side every step of the way. I don't now if I could do this on my own and having someone I trust, someone I'm close to, will make things a little bit easier one me."

"Then I'm your man, from now until then end," he said, resting his forehead against hers as they took in the moment.

"I do have one request, though. Could I have a little privacy? I'm starting to get a little chilly."

"Of course," he said, rising quickly from the bed. "I'll go see about the others. I'm sure they'll want to be eating soon," he said as he headed for the door.

It was several minutes before Weiss exited the room. Unsurprisingly she found Jack waiting for her outside, leaning up against the wall opposite the door. While she might have found this annoying early on today she was glad to see him waiting. He smiled warmly and she returned the gesture. Thankfully, neither of them was making things awkward.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

Before she could move another inch Jack reached out and pulled her close. Holding her in his arms he leaned down and gave her a light kiss. Weiss returned the gesture, feeling her heart race the moment her lips met his. They said nothing as they gazed into each others eyes. They didn't need to. Everything was right in the world.

 **Dragon Continent – Salem's Castle – Salem**

"Aww, Mercury, Emerald, excellent," Salem said as the two teenagers entered the main room.

"You called for us, Mistress?" Emerald asked.

"Yes, I have a mission for you two. I want you to accompany Tyrian to the southern coast of Anima. There you are to wait for the arrival Jack Brisbane. You are familiar with him, are you not?"

"Yes mistress," Emerald said, shuttering at the memory of her last encounter with the man.

"Good. I have something I need you to deliver to him," Salem said, holding up a scroll. "Recently he sent me a message regarding where his loyalties stand with our organization. This is my response to him. Be sure it makes it into his teammates hands. They'll want to hear the details themselves."

"What's on it?" Mercury asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Salem said sharply. "Now go. Tyrian is waiting for you."

The pair bowed respectfully to Salem before leaving the room. As they disappeared down the hall Salem couldn't help but smile to herself. Things were about to get interesting for Jack, very interesting indeed.

 **So many feels this chapter. I really hope some of you felt them while reading this.**

 **Now I'm sure that, after reading this chapter, some of you may think things are progressing a little to fast. I can sympathize with this. My only excuse is that I'm quickly running out of plot ideas to keep RWBY and crew in Anima and, frankly, I have bigger plans just waiting in the rafters. Others may think that its about damn time they reached this point in their relationship. To that I say "they've reached it so don't complain."**

 **Needless to say things are about to get hairy for Jack (not that way you perverts!). I'll try to add something to space out the return of Tyrian but needless to say Jack's loyalties are about to be brought into question.**

 **With this chapter we are officially on the horizon of the conclusion of "The Child of Light and Darkness." After this I'd say there'll probably be at least three to four more chapters before its finished. Not to worry, though, as I'll start work on its sequel shortly thereafter so any plot holes you may find in this portion will be answered in the next part.**

 **With that being said expect to see a new chapter of "World War Remnant" dropping after this one. I'll be alternating back and forth between the two stories in terms on writing priority. I don't want to give either one too much attention only to neglect the other and completely forget about it. If you haven't read it yet the first two chapters are already out so be sure to give it a look over.**

 **Until next time RWBY fans.**


	16. Chapter 15: Confrontation

**Chapter 15: Confrontation**

 **Somewhere over Vale – Mercury & Emerald**

Mercury was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on flying the airship. While he could simply switch it over to autopilot, the only problem with this was the fact that he'd be forced to either make small talked with Emerald or Tyrian.

Emerald was off the table for several reasons. First, she really didn't like Mercury. While the two of them had been recruited by Cinder herself, her reasons for bringing them into the fold were unique to each of them. Not only that but the only real conversation they could have would be in regards to Jack Brisbane. It was painfully obvious that she wanted nothing more to do with that man.

Upon returning from her previous visit to Jack, Emerald's arm had begun twitching like mad. Arthur Watts, an Atlas scientist who had developed many things for Salem including the virus that gave them control over Atlas' robotic army, also had some medical knowledge under his belt. After being ordered by Salem to inspect Emerald's blood he concluded that there was nothing physically wrong with her. The problem lay in her head. Glancing over at her, Mercury could see her eyes gazing out the viewport but the way she clutched her twitching arm told him that her mind was on one person at the moment.

Tyrian was another problem entirely. To say that the faunus had a few screws lose was an understatement. Ever since his return from failing to retrieve Ruby from her friends and Uncle the man had become more unwound by the day. Things only seemed to get worse once he gained his new tail from Watts. He became ferocious during training sessions, several of which almost ended with Mercury adding a few new prosthetics to match his legs.

Not only that but something about the man just gave him the creeps. He didn't know much about his past and, honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to know anything. Whatever had caused the man to become the creature he was today had obviously been something immensely disturbing. Even now, as he sat in the back of the airship, he giggled sinisterly to himself, his tail snapping rhythmically as his eyes darted all over the place. Mercury couldn't wait to get things over and done with. The sooner the better.

"We're passing over into Anima's airspace," Mercury announced, receiving a notification from the instruments on the dash.

Emerald's arm twitch was even more pronounced at this revelation. A hardened scowl crossed her face as she gazed out the viewport. She didn't care what Salem wanted. Jack was going to pay. She'd make him suffer for everything he'd done to her. One way or another she was going to make sure this man knew her pain.

* * *

 **Anima – Several miles east of the coast – Jack**

At the best of times Jack could come off as a decent actor. Depending on the quarry, as well as how drunk they were, he could keep his identity and intentions well beyond the suspicions of his prey before they ever had a chance to fight back. At other times, when his initial attempts didn't work, he could easily switch to a battle ready state of mind, ensuring he was able to out whit his opponent at a moments notice. Unfortunately, both of these skills were proving difficult to produce while around Weiss Schnee.

Admittedly, he had several other factors working against him. Ever since he and Weiss had taken the next step in their relationship, all he could think about was her. When they traveled he'd stick close to her, but not so close as to cause suspicion. More than once they'd made eye contact only to look away quickly, their cheeks turning pink in the process. Worse yet, when they settled down at a local inn, Jack found it difficult to sleep.

His thoughts were bombarded with images of Weiss. He saw her hair, her eyes, her lips, felt the warmth of her skin, the taste of her kiss, and smelled her delicate scent. With all of his thoughts being taken up by a woman who was only a room away from him, Jack couldn't help but find it difficult to get some sleep, especially when sleeping in a bath tub.

Unbeknownst to Jack, Weiss lay awake in the other room. Try as she might sleep somehow evaded her every attempt. It had nothing to do with Nora's sleep talking, Yang's snoring, or Ruby's constant movements. Rather, it had to do with what she imagined every time she closed her eyes.

The moment her eyelids were shut her emotions sent her right back to that moment in Jack's room. Despite stylizing herself as a "proper young lady" she couldn't help but recall every detail of that day. She could feel Jack's warm touch on her hand. She could hear his breath rising and falling in time with her heart beat. She saw his eyes gazing back at her and felt his lips caress her own. From there everything went down hill in terms of decency.

What made her feel incredibly shameful was the fact that she actually wanted to experience that moment all over again. Sure, the few times they stole a kiss with one another was harmless but to want to take things further once more was crossing a very delicate line. After a while Weiss decided that sleep would be impossible to accomplish at this rate. Doing her best not to disturb her roommates she quietly dressed in the dark and headed for the door. Hopefully a midnight walk would help clear her head.

As she exited the room the sound of a door opening and closing caught her attention. Looking over she was surprised to see Jack standing outside his room. Jack looked just as surprised as she was, the two of them staring at each other like dear caught in the deadlights of an oncoming car. For a moment neither of them said anything. Neither of them really knew what to say. Small talk was surely out of the question and bringing up what had been plaguing them for the past few days would only make things more awkward.

"Heading out?" Jack finally managed to say.

"Oh, uh, yes. I thought I could use some fresh air," she said.

"Funny, I had the same thought. Great minds think alike, I suppose," Jack mussed.

"Yea," was all Weiss could think to say.

"If you've got time, could we talk?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, following him into his room.

It was pitch black inside, which made sense considering he had only just left. In the dark she could hear Jack scuffling around, looking for a light switch. Before long, however, she heard him cry out as he tripped and toppled to the floor.

"You alright?" she asked.

"Yea, just bruised my pride," he said.

Weiss felt around for a bit before managing to find the chain hanging from the lamp on the nightstand. As soon as there was light she immediately realized what had happened. Being a creature of habit Jack had stumbling around in the dark wearing his sunglasses. She couldn't help but laugh at this realization.

"Kind of hard to see with these on," she said, taking his askew glasses from his face. "There, much better," she said, gazing into his eyes.

Weiss immediately realized this was a bad move, or was it a good one? The moment their eyes met she was immediately bombarded by the same emotions that had been plaguing her sleep. Jack himself felt them as well, the only difference being that he was less willing to resist than he had been before.

Without a word he learned towards Weiss who didn't object to his approach. She felt his lips on hers and became consumed by her feelings of desire. Like a crack addict that had just taken another hit she leaned into him, becoming more aggressive as a result. Jack was surprised by this move and a little more inclined to give in. However, he had something important to talk to her about. As much as he hated himself for doing, he pulled himself away, waiting for the feelings of pleasure to subside as he took a breath.

"We need to talk," he said, the sound of disappointment evident in his voice.

"Alright," she said, sounding disappointed herself, but not with Jack.

The moment the flood gates opened in her heart Weiss knew where things were headed. It wasn't the fact that her emotions and desires would have lead them to crossing that line once more, rather, it was the fact that she wanted to. She felt somewhat ashamed that she would even consider taking that step again. It wasn't that she didn't like Jack, but the constant tug-of-war she was having with her emotions was beginning to wear her out.

"I wanted to ask if you'd given any thought to what you'll do once we reach Vale," he said, taking a seat at the table with Weiss sitting opposite from him.

"I have, sort of," she admitted, having had her thoughts on something else.

"I understand, there's a lot to consider and it will be difficult to leave your friends so soon," he said, "however, we have to assume your father is still tracking you. The less time we spend with your teammates the better. We need to leave him a trail of breadcrumbs to follow in order to lead any opposition away from your friends."

"I understand," Weiss said.

"Also, have you told them about our, huh," he hesitated with the next few words, "relationship?"

"No, not yet," Weiss said, her face turning a bright shade of pink.

"To be honest, I think it's best if we keep it close to the chest for now," he said, "although, I think you'll agree that they have a right to know what's going on. Once we announce that we'll be leaving they're sure to start piecing things together for themselves. Better to give ourselves some control over what they take away from it by at least informing them beforehand."

"Yes, that would be more beneficial," Weiss agreed.

They talked for a while longer, discussing the plan of attack for when and how they'd reveal everything. Jack made sure to figure out where they'd head to first and from there grab some supplies and make plans for their next destination. It was sure to be a long and eventful journey. Somehow, it didn't seem so bad. Spending all that time with someone, especially someone he cared about, made Jack look forward to what was about to happen.

Before long they decided to turn in, their bodies finally giving way to sleep. Jack politely walked Weiss back to her room, though they both knew it was simply so he could steal a few more moments with her. As he bade her goodnight he was tempted to go in for one last kiss but ultimately decided against it. However, Weiss was quick to act in this regard.

"No goodnight kiss?" she asked.

Like a dog being tempted with a treat Jack jumped at the invitation, sliding back to her side before bringing his lips to hers. They parted several moments later, both longing for a bit more time but all the while knowing they couldn't spare it. Yet, despite their strong feelings, both of them found they had little difficulty getting to sleep.

* * *

The next few days went by like a blur. As the group traveled through forest and town, coming closer and closer to reaching their destination, both Jack and Weiss had their minds on completely different matters. While Ruby blabbed on and on about what they would do once they reached her home it Patch, Weiss' own mind was on her own home. She wondered what her father was doing, what he was planning. She thought of Klein and if he had been caught helping her to escape. More so than that was how long it would be before she ever returned to Atlas. She knew her journey would take some time but what if it was years? It was almost too much to considered but, when she would glance over at Jack, she somehow found herself feeling strangely calm.

Jack, on the other hand, was considering all the steps they'd need to take to keep papa Schnee, and more importantly Salem, off their trail. He knew their stay at the Xio Long residence would be limited, a few days perhaps, before they had to depart. They'd have to choose their route carefully, perhaps even change their overall image, and even travel at night to keep everyone off their trail. They'd have to use cash, no lines of credit, and he'd be drawing on old favors throughout the journey. Jack was troubled by everything that they would have to face and almost all at once. However, glancing over at Weiss it didn't seem to trouble him as much. Perhaps they would find a way?

If there was anything these two could count on it was that they were, in fact, being closely watched. However, it was not by Jacques nor Salem but rather someone quite close to them. Demi regarded her parents and their changed perspectives of one another. She couldn't say when but at some point the two of them had grown closer, a lot closer. It wasn't difficult to see either. She was certain the others could see the same change in them as well. Why she desperately wanted to ask them them what had happened she knew better. Mostly because she knew they would be too strongly guarded on the actual events that had taken place. If she was to get any information from either of them she would have to be subtle.

With only a couple of days between them and the Anima coastline the group settled down for the night. Having a rare night in which they slept out under the stars rather than in a motel, the group huddled around the fire, their minds looking forward to returning to Vale. Demi watched her parents closely, taking in the subtle glances they gave one another. She had been thinking long and hard about what she should say and, as the night wore on, she decided it was time to implement her plan.

"So, Jack, after we reach Vale what do you plan on doing?" she asked.

"I have another contract lined up for me when we get there. I'll hang around for a few days before heading out," he said.

"What's the job?"

"An escort mission. High-profile employer who wants to travel without being noticed. I have a knack for being able to move without people taking notice."

"Didn't know you took escort missions," she said.

"Normally, no, however, depending on the payment, as well as who's involved, I can be persuaded to make an exception."

"Kind of like this one?" she asked.

"Yes, this has been one of those rare occasions," Jack said with a small smile.

"What about you Weiss? What are your plans?"

"I haven't given it much thought," she said, averting her eyes from Demi.

"You can stay with us for a while," Ruby offered.

"Yea, our Dad would be more than accommodating," Yang agreed.

"Thank you, though I can't say that I'll be able to stay for too long."

"How come?" Demi inquired.

"My father," Weiss answered with obvious disappointment in her voice. "Despite Jack's interference during his last attempt to drag me back to Atlas, I have a strong suspicion that he hasn't given up. No doubt he has people waiting for me in Vale as soon as we arrive."

"So what? We'll just take care of them like we did the last ones," Yang said, mock flexing her robotic arm.

"It's not that simple. We defeat them, sure, but that won't stop others from trying. Before long we'll be surrounded by enemies, huntsman and mercenaries who aren't afraid of taking a life, especially one of your lives. I can't allow something like that to happen."

"Are you saying you're planning on going it alone?" Demi asked.

"No, actually, I already have an escort lined up to help me evade my father's hired help."

"Oh, you mean Jack," she said with a sly smirk.

"What, no!" Weiss said in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

"Only the obvious. Jack already has a job lined up for him in Vale. You already have an escort waiting for you. You two have become fairly good friends as of late and, honestly, it makes sense that you'd travel with someone you trust, especially when operating on a continent you're unfamiliar with."

"You're a shrewd child, you realize that?" Jack said, surrendering to Demi's deduction.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out," she replied.

"Weiss, when were you going to tell us?" Ruby asked with obvious betrayal in her voice.

"Once we reached Vale. I didn't want to worry any of you."

"So keeping secrets was your way of protecting us?" Yang countered.

"She did it because she knew you'd insist on accompanying her," Jack interjected. "As her friends we knew you wouldn't allow her to go it alone. However, with the steps her father is taking to insure she returns to Atlas, it would only be a matter of time before you all became targets. Besides, with just the two of us it would be easier to travel and conceal ourselves."

"And how long would she be gone?" Yang asked.

"A year or two at the very least. Eventually we would have to confront her father."

"But for the most part we'd be kept out of the loop, out of her life," Yang concluded.

"In the long and short of it, yes," Jack conceded.

Yang rose to her feet, her eyes already turning a bright red in the light of the campfire. Jack stayed in his seat, his eyes locked on Yang. It was obvious she was pissed at him. He couldn't blame her. The revelation of his and Weiss' departure was not something he had expected any of them to take well. Even so, he would have preferred that they wait until they had reached Vale before revealing their intentions. At least then they would have had more in place for their departure. Still, now that the cat was out of the bag they had to deal with the consequences.

"I'm going to bed," Yang said in an irksome tone.

Ruby watched as her sister stormed off before following her. Weiss watched them leave before turning her gaze towards Jack. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. She felt guilty. To be honest, he did to, a little. However, there was no helping their situation now. What's done is done.

* * *

Jack stood gazing out into the dark woods. He had volunteered to take first watch, more so out of a desire to avoid speaking to everyone. With everyone sleeping soundly behind him he was able to take a moment to construct a plan of action for himself and Weiss. He had tried to convince himself that Weiss' friends would come to understand his way of thinking but this did little to ease his guilt. He was disturbed from his thoughts when he heard movement behind him and was unsurprised to see Weiss standing next to him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.

"It's the best one we could come up with. In the long run, it'll be better if they aren't involved."

"I still feel bad about all this. I never wanted to keep secrets from my teammates."

"I understand, however, it can't be helped. If they even knew where we intended to go to first it could be detrimental to them all."

"I know," she said, the tone of her voice betraying her lack of faith in his words. "Are you going to sleep soon?"

"I will. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Alright, but get some sleep soon," she said and snuck in a quick kiss on his cheek before returning to her sleeping bag.

While Weiss drifted off to sleep, Jack scanned the woods for any sign of Grimm. It was strange. Until recently he had noticed small pockets of Grimm keeping a close eye on them. While they never ventured close he was able to discern that they never let the group out of their sight. However, the past few days there had been no signs of the creatures of darkness. He'd found this strange and had sent out undead scouts, all of which confirmed his suspicions. They were nowhere to be found.

While Jack had no love for the creatures, having Grimm keeping a constant eye on them meant Salem considered them a threat. Now, however, the complete lack of the creature's presence told him something was off. He didn't know what but his instincts told him Salem was planning something and it was about to hit them them soon.

* * *

It was midafternoon when Jack and the teams began making their way through the ruins of a long abandoned village. They had little more than half a day left to go but Jack couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. Walking through the wreckage of the decaying buildings and abandoned homes he started to see movement in every corner and every shadow. He kept one eyes closed, switching between the numerous insects and animals he had on patrol. He knew it wasn't foolproof but, as long as he had eyes on the premises, it would enable them to react quicker.

As he switched to one of his creatures near the village gate he noticed something flash by. He stopped, holding out his hand to signal to everyone else that they should hold position. He began switching to each sequential servant he had, moving down the line in the hopes of catching up to whatever had crossed his path. It wasn't long before he saw another glint and immediately realized what it was. Light was reflecting off of a metal surface and it was moving fast.

"We've got trouble," he said.

"I sense it to," Ren agreed.

"Where?" Jaune asked.

Before he could answer Jack lunged out of the way of incoming fire. The rest of the team did the same, falling back to defensive positions near the abandoned buildings. Out in the open Jack attempted to make his way to cover when he caught the glint of steel out of the corner of his eye. Reacting purely out of muscle memory, Jack removed his daggers and raised them to defend himself from the incoming attack. Steel met steel as Tyrian's clawed gauntlets came down on him, stopping just inches from his face.

Jack looked up into the crazed eyes of Tyrian Callows, the fiendish scorpion faunus gazing hungrily down on the bounty hunter. As Jack struggled to push back the blades he noticed Tyrian's eyes change to a deep purple. His instincts flared, acting on the assumption that such a change must be similar to Yang's semblance, and he broke off from his opponent just as a pair of sharp pincers came crashing down on his position. Jack looked up to see Tyrian's tail with a new attachment rise from the ground. In it's pinchers it held a piece of the concrete below which it cut cleanly in two as a demonstration of its lethality.

"Hello Jack. It's been far too long," the scorpion said.

"Tyrian. I thought I sensed your vile aura," Jack replied. "So, I take it Salem sent you to silence me once and for all?"

"Not exactly. I'm here to send a message and I brought some help as well."

As if on cue Emerald and Mercury emerged from their hiding places. While Mercury held the same arrogant smirk on his face as he usually did, Emerald seemed less pleased to see him. He noticed her arm twitching slightly, a fact that she couldn't hide very well. Jack smiled for a fraction of a second before relaxing his face. He had to focus.

"I'll make this quick. Give us the girl and all will be forgiven," Tyrian said.

"No thanks, but I do have a message for your Mistress," Jack said, brandishing his daggers.

"And what might that be?" the scorpion asked.

"It's not a verbal message. I'll simply send back your head on a platter. I'm sure that'll get the point across fairly well."

Without missing a beat Jack and Tyrian engaged each other in battle. Despite being overwhelmed by his enemies, Jack held himself fairly well. He dodged and parried Tyrian's strikes, looking for an opening while simultaneously avoiding gunfire from both Emerald and Mercury. Unfortunately, the battle was proving too much for him to handle alone and he quickly retreated back to the teams.

"Split them up. Their not very good at being team players," he instructed.

"I've got Mercury," Yang said, cocking her gauntlet and prosthetic arm, primed for the fight.

"Go for his legs, they're his greatest asset and weakness," Jack said.

Yang gave him a look of surprise, one that he immediately remedied.

"Don't think about it too much. The worst thing to happen to him occurred long before you two faced off in the Vital Tournament," he said.

Yang nodded her head in agreement before racing off towards Mercury. Ruby and Weiss followed after her, eager to lend their teammate a helping hand.

"Jaune, you and your team go after Emerald. Don't bunch up, stay apart, make her target you one on one. She has a wicked semblance that is difficult to distinguish. Also, see how her arm is twitching? Go for that side, it's her weak point."

Everyone did as they were told, though Jaune and Ren were nonetheless curious as to why Jack had such intricate knowledge regarding their opponents. Jaune made a mental note to ask him about it later and raced off to fight Emerald.

"Demi, you're with me. Don't get too close, but don't take your eyes off his tail. It's become far more lethal than it was before. I'll face him head on, you provide support. If things get too hairy, retreat. Better that you not place yourself in unnecessary danger," he said.

Demi nodded in approval, brandishing her sword as she followed her father into battle. Tyrian stood waiting, eager to resume his fight. With a flick of his tail the scorpion made a swipe at the pair. Jack easily dodged the incoming attack while Demi deflected it off her sword. Jack quickly closed the distance between them, ensuring Tyrian's attention was solely on him. Demi did her best to provide support while dodging his tail at the same time. How the faunus managed to fight two different opponents at the same time was beyond her reasoning but she had to maintain focus on the fight to insure she didn't get serrated.

* * *

Yang charged her way towards Mercury. Unlike her previous fight with the young man she was ready and waiting for his first move. He didn't waist any time and quickly fired off a series of shots at the blonde brawler. She easily deflected them before firing off a series of shots of her own. The explosions caused a cloud of dust to kick up, blinding Mercury for a moment. She didn't hesitate and immediately took advantage of the situation. Emerging from the cloud she aimed a strike at Mercury's left leg but missed as he narrowly dodged her attack.

"I see you're not holding back your punches blonde," Mercury said in jest.

"Not after everything you've done to my friends," she said in retort.

"You know, I've got to be honest with you, I'm a little surprised you'd follow Jack's orders so easily."

"What makes you say that?"

"That man's more messed up than you realize. You think he's your friend but in reality he's been leading you along like lambs to the slaughter."

"You're wrong. He'd nothing like that. He's put his life on the line for us and others," Yang argued.

"So he'd have you believe but the truth is he has every intention to betray y'all. I can prove it to," he said with an arrogant smirk.

"I don't want to hear anything more from you," Yang said and quickly reentered the fight.

* * *

As per Jack's instructions Team JNR swarmed Emerald, surrounding her in a triangle formation that insured she'd have to focus on one of them at a time. This didn't sit well with the young girl. Usually her semblance would be useful in fight but, with so many opponents, it was more likely that she was going to be overwhelmed by the others while focusing her attention on one of them. She had to get them apart if her ability was going to have any effect.

Targeting Jaune first she fired off a valley of shots. The knight easily deflected the shots with his shield and charged in for a counterattack. Emerald used this opportunity to leap onto his shoulders and propelled herself into the ruined buildings. Acting quickly the group followed after her but lost her immediately upon entering the maze of buildings.

"Split up. We'll flush her out quickly. Don't forget what Jack said either. Whatever her semblance is, it's bound to be powerful," Jaune said.

His teammates nodded in agreement before heading off into the maze. Perched atop one of the decaying buildings Emerald gazed down on her pray. Altogether they were a hassle but one on one they were easy to take down. Looking to Jaune she smiled slyly to herself. Her first target was about to be accosted by his past.

* * *

With the others preoccupied, Mercury did his best to fend off Team RWY. Unfortunately, he'd only ever faced them one on one before. Fighting all of them, despite being one member short, still gave him an insight into their coordination. With each subsequent attack or counterattack he made against any of them, one of the girls would quickly move in to deflect it before another made a go for his legs. It wasn't difficult for him to realize that Jack had told them to aim for his hidden prosthetics and he quickly formulated a plan to abate them.

"I realize you don't believe me but I have proof. Jack isn't on your side. He's one of ours."

"A likely story," Ruby said, aiming a deadly strike near his legs.

"It's true, he'd been playing you all this entire time. I have proof of it," he said, taking out his scroll. Before he had a chance to press play, however, Yang cocked off a shot that sent the device flying out of his hands.

Mercury reeled from the unexpected attack. Things were not going well for him. All he could do was hope that Emerald was having a far easier time than he. If she could at least ditch her pursuers they might have a chance.

* * *

With his teammates looking elsewhere for Emerald, Jaune moved cautiously through the buildings. He kept his shield raised and his sword at the ready, checking every shadow and alleyway for signs of his prey. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he walked, expecting an attack at any time. Following closely behind him Emerald smirked to herself. The boy was in for a nasty surprise.

"Jaune," he heard someone say.

Jaune turned around, expecting to see someone standing there. All he saw, however, was an empty street. He relaxed a little but nonetheless kept his guard up. There was no telling when an attack might come.

"Jaune," he heard again.

"Who's there?" he said, turning towards the source of the voice but still seeing nothing. "Show yourself."

"Jaune, it's okay, it's me," the young woman said as she stepped into view.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune said in disbelief. His guard faltered, surprised by the arrival of his old teammate. Remembering what Jack had said, though, he quickly reverted back into his defensive stance. "You're not real. You're dead."

"Jaune, what are you talking about? I'm right here," she said.

"No, you died. Cinder killed you."

"Jaune, I not dead, I promise you," she said.

She moved closer to Jaune, closing the gap between them. The young knight struggled with his overwhelming emotions. His instincts told him not to trust what he was seeing. However, he couldn't help but want to believe that what he was seeing was real. It was his partner after all. How could he attack his partner without a good reason? As she drew closer she reached out her hands to touch him. Jaune moved back but she managed to take a hold of his face in her hands before he got too far.

Jaune was immediately surprised by how warm they felt. Everything he remembered about her, from her soft skin to her beautiful green eyes, began flooding back to him. It was Pyrrha, there was no doubt about it.

"How is this possible?"

"I never died, Jaune. I've always been here."

"But how did you survive? Where have you been all this time?"

"I promise to tell you everything but first we have to eliminate Jack."

"Jack? Why?"

"He's not what he seems, Jaune. He'd going to betray us."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"He'd working for Salem, Jaune. He's one of her servants."

"How do you know about Salem?" Jaune asked, confused by what she was saying. "Pyrrha, what happened that night at Beacon? What happened between you and Cinder?"

Pyrrha didn't answer him. She simply gazed up at Jaune. Behind the illusion that was being played before him Emerald made her way towards the young knight. He was becoming increasingly aware that something was off. Better to eliminate him now than allow him to discover the truth. Approaching him from behind she readied the blades on her gun to slice through his neck.

"Jaune, behind you?" Ren cried out.

Before Emerald had a chance to attack, she dodged out of the way of a volley of gunfire. Snapping out of the illusion, Jaune raised his shield to defend himself as Emerald fired a volley of her own at the boy. Her attacks were interrupted, however, as she was showered with grenades curtsey of Nora Valkyrie. Overwhelmed by their attacks, Emerald retreated back towards the main square.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Ren asked as soon as he caught up with his leader.

"Yea, I'm fine. Did any of you see Pyrrha?"

"Pyrrha?" Ren asked, confused.

"Yea, she was standing right here."

"Jaune, what are you talking about?" Nora asked, obviously concerned.

"We didn't see anyone except you and Emerald."

"Emerald," Jaune mumbled, a realization popping into his head. "Her semblance. Jack was right."

"What do you mean?"

"It was her semblance. I don't know what it really is but she must be able to mess with your mind somehow."

"So what do we do?" Nora asked.

"We stick together. She only used it on me because I was alone. Maybe, if we stick together, it'll be harder for her to use it."

Ren and Nora nodded in agreement, ready to follow their leader. Taking charge of the situation Jaune pressed forward. His recent battle with Emerald, and the unsettling aspect of having seen his old partner once more, had shaken him a little. Despite this he prepared himself for the battle ahead. When he saw Emerald again he'd be ready for her. He wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice.

* * *

Out in the main courtyard Jack and Demi were gaining the upper hand over Tyrian. Despite his sporadic and overall outlandish fighting style they somehow managed to find a rhythm in his attacks and adapted to it. The scorpion was quickly losing momentum as he found the battle turning against him. When he had been presented with the prospect of Hunting the silver-eyed girl once more he had jumped at the chance. However, he hadn't anticipated Jack being so skillful. All the time he'd spent locked away and yet his skills had never diminished. It was too frustrating to think about.

To add to his frustration Mercury and Emerald were pushed back by their opponents. Overwhelmed by the coordination of team RWBY, Mercury retreated to Tyrian's side, putting his back to the faunus as he let off a few shots at the girls. Emerald's return was less subtle as she scrambled into the courtyard while being bombarded by a volley of grenades.

"You're outgunned and outmatched, Tyrian. If I were you I'd consider surrendering myself," Jack said.

"Never! I will not fail my mistress again," he snarled.

"Tyrian, let's go," Mercury urged.

"You dare tell me what to do child!" Tyrian said, turning on Mercury.

"We've completed our mission. We'll get Ruby another time. Let's retreat. Now."

While Tyrian hated the thought of admitting defeat, he knew Mercury was right. They were vastly overwhelmed and, while Jack was nothing like Qrow, he had still managed to back him into a corner. They'd retreat for now and report back to Salem. He'd have his chance at Jack another time. Just as quickly as they'd appeared, Tyrian and his allies escaped. While some members of the team wanted to go after them, Jaune especially, Jack held his arm out to prevent him from following.

"They'll be back, Jaune. There's no need to waste your energy in pursuing them. Besides, we have more important things to concern ourselves with."

* * *

With the battle won Yang was still fairly pissed at seeing Mercury again. Having him here brought back memories of the Vital Festival, memories that we not very pleasant. Despite this they'd won and sent him and his friends packing. Still, something was bothering her. He'd been less focused on fighting them and more focused on sharing whatever it was he had on his scroll.

Searching around for where they'd encountered him it took Yang a little while to find the scroll. She was surprised to find it was still intact despite having taken a direct hit from her gauntlets. She chocked it up to Atlas' ability to make quality items and opened up the device. Unsurprisingly there wasn't a whole lot in the memory. The contacts list was completely empty as well as the messages. There was, however, something else stored on the device. A few recordings had been saved. Yang took a look at the first one, giving it a listen. She immediately recognized Jack's voice but the woman he was speaking to was someone she didn't recognize. This was far from her immediate concerns, however, as the conversation took a nasty turn.

"Yang, is something wrong? Where did you get that?" Weiss asked, approaching her cautiously.

"Where's Jack?" Yang asked through gritted teeth.

"He's over there, talking with team JNPR," she replied.

"We need to have a word with him. Now."

* * *

Jack was a little perturbed by the arrival of Tyrian, Mercury, and Emerald. He hadn't expected Salem to send some of her own people after them. Grimm, yes, but Tyrian meant she was pulling out the big guns. It was obvious to him that she was taking him as a serious threat. This would have pleased him if it weren't for the nature of their relationship. With his shifting loyalties it was obvious they'd been sent to shake up their team dynamic. He knew he had to tell them everything. It was only a matter of time before they learned the truth and he'd rather they learned it from him than Salem's crew.

Unfortunately, Jack wasn't too hopeful about everyone's reactions. In truth he could see them turning against him the moment he revealed everything to them. He would be right back at square one, only this time it would be unintentional. Still, the longer he waited the worse the outcome would be. He had to tell them, needed to tell them. Even so, he wondered how Weiss would take the news. With how their relationship was progressing it could put a big wedge between them.

Completely engrossed in his turbulent thoughts, Jack almost didn't notice Yang storming towards him. The moment he acknowledged her presence he realized something was bothering her. Her eyes were red, her expression was one of contempt, and her hands were balled into fists ready to knock someone's head off. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was the subject of her hostile feelings but he was unaware of the reason until he noticed the scroll in her hands.

"You find something?" he asked, gesturing to the scroll.

"More than you realize. I learned that we've been harboring a traitor."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Without saying a word Yang held up the scroll and pressed play. The volume was turned up all the way, allowing everyone to listen to what was being played. Jack felt his heart plummet as he heard his voice being played from the device. He knew what it was. He knew what had been recorded. He only wished it hadn't been brought to everyone's attention in such a disastrous manner.

" _Right on time. Mercury and Emerald will be taking you to Anima and dropping you off just south of Mistral. No doubt you'll be able to find your way from there_?" Salem's voice said from the scroll

" _If they're headed to Mistral then I can assume they'll make for Haven academy_ ," Jack heard himself reply.

" _If so then my contact there will be of great help to you_. _Remember I want the girl alive. Succeed and you'll gain your freedom. Fail and you'll far more of yourself than you can afford_."

" _How do I know I can trust you to keep your word_?"

" _You don't_."

Jack's face turned a ghostly pail. The words had incriminating effects on the relationship he'd spent so much time developing with his team. Everyone's face held a different expression but he was concerned with only one. Looking to Weiss he saw disbelief in her eyes, though whether it was disbelief in the fact that he had betrayed them or that the evidence was real, he wasn't quite sure.

"So this entire time you were one of them. You were using us, leading us along just so you could trade my sister for your freedom."

"Yang, it's not what you think," Jack started to argue.

"Then what is it, Jack?" she shot back.

"Yang, hold on. We don't know how much of that is true. It did come from Mercury after all," Weiss said in his defense.

"Is that it then? Is this all a big lie?" Yang questioned.

Weiss gave him a pleading look, asking him to tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. Jack, unfortunately, couldn't say that. He wished he could simply lie and say it was all fake but he knew better than that. The cat was out of the bag. Any attempts to hide the truth would just make things worse in the long run.

"It's true, all of it," he said firmly. Weiss' eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So you admit that you've been working for Salem?" Yang asked, her anger increasing by the minute.

"I was but it's not as simple as that," Jack said, attempting to explain his situation.

"Not that simple? You were going to us my sister as a bargaining chip!" Yang roared. Before anyone could stop her Yang aimed a punch straight at Jack's face.

"No, wait, Yang, let me explained!" Jack cried out. Having little time to react Jack did the only thing he could.

He focused his aura around the area that she had aimed for, which just so happened to be his face. He took the full force of her punch, feeling it even through his defensive aura. Having been sparred much of the initial damaged he was unable to remain conscious and fell to the ground. Before long everything went dark and the voices of the people around him faded into the distance.

* * *

 **Apologies for the long overdue chapter. Had a lot going on the last couple of weeks, not to mention the Net Neutrality fiasco. By this point we all know that the it has been repelled but, needless to say, I think we all know further action will be taken. In any case, should fanfic be affected, I'll be moving my stories over to tumbler. I'll be using the same username there so it'll be easier to find my stuff for my fans.**

 **This chapter has been a long time coming. It's actually one of the first that I came up with when I first started writing this story. Obviously much has changed since then. With the way things are going its going to be a major uphill battle for Jack, should he find a way out of his current situation.**

 **Things are starting to wind down for this story arc. A few more chapters and it'll be wrapped up. Not to worry, though, as I have some bonus stuff planned for after this part is concluded. I'll probably be working on that alongside my other story as well as the second part of this one.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Be sure to leave me a review and I'll see you next time RWBY fans.**


	17. Chapter 16: Confession

**Anima – Near the Anima coastline – Jack**

Jack's head was killing him. He didn't know why but for some reason he had a monster of a headache. He instinctively attempted to reach up and rub his temples in an effort to alleviate some of the pain but, when he attempted to move, he found his arms wouldn't obey. As he slowly gained consciousness he realized that his arms were bound and his whole body was tied to a tree. He could hear voices not too far off and see the faint glow of a fire. As he regained his sight, recent events came flooding back to him.

"He's awake," he heard Demi say.

Jack looked around at everyone's faces, each one holding a different expression. The most notable was Yang's whose glower still held deep contempt. In her hands was the scroll which held the incriminating evidence of his allegiance to Salem. By now it was obvious they'd had time to digest its contents and come to their own conclusions. Looking over everyone his sight eventually settled on Weiss. Sitting the furthest back from him, her inability to look Jack in the eye told him everything. The distance between them was a perfect metaphor for where things stood with them.

"So, what now?" he asked.

"What now? We discover you're a traitor and that's all you have to say?" Yang asked, obviously pissed.

"What more can I say? From your reaction it's obvious you've already come to your own conclusions. There's really nothing more I can say to help my situation. My only question is how long I have before you either turn me over to the authorities or simply kill me."

"That last part sounds like a great idea to me," Yang said, smashing her fist into her metal palm.

"Why don't we take a moment and calm down," Ren cut in.

"He's right. Acting on impulse isn't going to help our situation," Demi added. "Besides, I have a few questions I'd like to have answered."

"Seriously? What more could you possibly need to know?" Yang questioned.

"For starters, I want to know why he was helping Salem. He obviously didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart."

"I have a few questions of my own as well," Jaune added, fixing Jack with a hard glare.

"Where do you want me to start?' he asked Demi. "Start at the beginning. That's usually the best place to begin," she said.

"Alright," he said, shifting a little in an attempt to get comfortable. "To start off I was never loyal to Salem."

"Bullshit," Yang scoffed.

"Yang," Ruby chided her, giving her sister a warning look.

"I know you won't believe me, and I completely understand why, but the fact of the matter is I never wanted to be a puppet on her string. I was approached a couple years ago by Cinder Fall. She had found me mostly by reputation and made an offer which I promptly refused. I don't remember all the details of the conversation but what I do recall was that, after I refused to join her cause, it was apparent she had not taken my it very well.

After that things became quiet. Every now and again I'd hear rumors of a woman with raven black hair recruiting various groups to her cause. I never thought much of it but I was always wary. Something about her left me feeling unsettled. I never expected to see her again."

"But you did," Demi confirmed.

"Yes, like a patch of weeds she sprouted back up," he said. "When I next saw her things had changed drastically. At this point she had picked up two children, her disciples she called them, and her overall confidence had increased as well. I could sense that she had gained some sort of boost to her overall power and skill, but what it was I couldn't say for certain.

Once more she requested my services for her organization and once more I refused. This time, however, she didn't let me off as easily. She, along with her disciples, attacked me. I fought back as best I could but in the end they took me prisoner. Not long after that I became acquainted with Salem. I don't know what Qrow may have told you about her but I doubt they came close to informing you on what it is you're facing."

"Why? What's she like?" Ruby asked, curious.

"For one thing, she isn't human. She may look human but she's more Grimm in appearance. She's also quite powerful. It's obvious why so many people have flocked to her side. It's rather unsettling to be around her. I was more convinced than ever that I wanted nothing to do with her. Regardless of my fate, anything was preferable to being one of her pawns."

"Yet you joined her anyway," Yang growled.

"Not by choice," he argued.

"You always have a choice," Jaune pointed out.

"Not when you're imprisoned against your will. Not when your world is shrunken down to a barley livable cell with only a stone slab for a bed and you're served three square meals of bread and water a day. I refused to join her twice. She was willing to wait a little longer, to see if my will would break." He looked towards Ruby, seeing the sympathetic look she gave him, "And I broke, eventually. I made a deal with the devil in order to gain my freedom."

"That's still no excuse for what you did, what you intended to do to my sister," Yang shot back.

"I'm not trying to make excuses, Yang, I'm simply explaining the situation I was forced to endure. When you're forced into exile only to have what little freedom you managed to attain stripped from you, you find yourself willing to cut deals with the most unsavory of people simply to know some relief."

"Then why not try to escape? Why not use your semblance against them?"

"You think I didn't try that?" he asked. "Those were the first things that came to mind. They were the first things I attempted and the first to fail. My first few weeks there I used my spiders to scout out the area. From there I began expanding my horizon, looking for any means of escape. Once I reached the outside, though, everything fell apart.

I don't know where in Remnant Salem's home is located. I couldn't even describe the landscape if I wanted. It's a barren wasteland, unfit for anyone living thing, aside from the Grimm that populate it. At most I can control my servants as far out as a mile in any direction. In desperation I sent them out in every direction possible, hoping I'd find some semblance of life along the way. In all that time, though, I never found any grass, trees, water, nothing to suggest life. I was trapped.

With nothing outside my prison to give me hope for escape I instead turned my sights inward. The way I saw things, if I could learn as much as I could about my captors I might just be able to use it against them."

"I take it you were successful in this endeavor," Demi commented.

"Indeed," he said with a small note of pride.

"Then what can you tell us? What do you know that might help us defeat Salem?" Jaune asked.

"For starters, Cinder's disciples are much more interesting than you realize."

"How so?"

"Have any of you ever heard of an assassin named Marcus Black?" he asked.

Everyone exchanged looks but only shrugged in response. None of them had ever heard of the man. Even Demi was at a loss. The name was familiar to her but aside from that she knew nothing more about the man.

"I didn't think you would," Jack said. "He's a top grade assassin, well known in certain circles. He's also a violent drunk. Most of the money he made in his lifetime went towards destroying his liver as quickly as possible. I'd heard rumors that Marcus had a son. Whomever the mother was is uncertain but I can say for certain that Mercury is his boy."

"And how would you know that?" Yang asked.

"Because I heard him speak about his father on numerous occasions. He never missed a chance to complain about how much the man drank or how violent he used to get. One of those times he went too far, taking it out on his son. The act cost him his legs but he would later remedy this by taking his father's life."

"So you're saying Mercury has prosthetic legs?"

"I'm not just saying that, I saw them for myself. I'd see him working on them on occasion. His left one had a sizable dent in it. Your handy work I assume," he said to Yang.

"Son of a- "she caught herself saying. "It was all an act."

"More so than you think," Jack added.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Jaune asked.

"He is," Ruby interjected. "Just before Penny- "she stopped, pushing back the tears that threatened to come pouring out from the memory. "Just before the battle for Beacon, I ran into Mercury. He was completely fine. We fought for a while before I managed to break away from him."

"That still doesn't explain what I saw," Yang said. "I remember Mercury attacking me after our match by none of the cameras caught it. All they saw was me attacking him."

"That's actually something I can explain as well," Jack said.

"What do you mean?"

"What you saw and what the cameras caught were both true. What matters is your perspective."

"What? Ruby asked, confused.

"Yea, stop speaking in riddles and just tell us," Yang demanded in an irritated tone.

"Let me ask you this first. Did you ever learn what Emerald's semblance is?"

The group exchanged looks, none of them having any real idea. While the records sent to both Beacon and Haven Academy might have had some information, it was safe to say most of it was falsified.

"It's a very unique and powerful semblance. She can cause you to see hallucinations. Basically, she can trick your mind into seeing something that's not there.

From what I've learned she used it during the festival against a young woman named Coco. She apparently used it to trick her into seeing her teammate after they eliminated him. She famously used it against you," he said, looking up at Yang, "in order to stage your attack against Mercury and, most notoriously, she used it on Pyrrha Nikos when she fought against Penny Polendina."

"What did she do?" Ruby asked, her voice almost trembling.

"She apparently multiplied the amount of weapons being used against her," he said softly. "What had originally been a dozen swords turned into something close to a hundred."

Ruby covered her mouth in horrified astonishment. Somehow, knowing the truth of the events behind Beacon's fall just made things that much worse.

"That can't be possible," Yang said in utter disbelief.

"It's possible," Jaune said. "She used it on me."

"What! How?"

"When we were fighting her," he said. "Jack had warned us prior that she had an unusual semblance. It was only after she caught me alone that I became the victim of it. It feels incredibly real. You wouldn't know it was a trick until it's too late."

"What did you see?" Weiss asked, just now joining the conversation.

"Pyrrha," he said grimly. "I saw Pyrrha."

Everyone was silent. The information Jack had divulged was a lot to digest. It was difficult to believe that anything he'd told them was true. On the other hand, it all made too much sense to ignore completely.

"Why tell us all this? What do you gain from it?" Weiss asked, finally managing to look him in the eye.

"I was never loyal to Salem," he began. "From the moment she set me lose my only thought was of gaining my freedom from her influence. After a while, though, I realized that wouldn't be possible, so I opted to spite her instead.

However, after traveling with all of you, developing the bond we had and being treated like an equal, my outlook changed. I still despised Salem but I no longer wanted vengeance against her. I had people important to me, friends I wanted to protect. You were the only ones to see my semblance and not reject me because of it. I've never had something like that before."

It was silent after that. The weight of his words hung over everyone. Even jack was at a loss for what to say next. Try as he might, he couldn't think of anything else to help plead his case. As things stood, this was the end.

"I don't expect forgiveness," he finally managed to say. "I won't expect sympathy. Whatever fate you have planned for me I'll accept without argument. I know what I did and I understand how you all must feel. The only consolation I expect to take from this is knowing that what I've told you may just give you an edge over Salem and her soldiers. So long as you land a serious blow against her, I'll gladly accept my fate."

* * *

Everyone found it difficult to sleep that night. After their conversation with Jack, the information he'd left them with had been a lot to take in. Many of the hunters lay awake, wondering how they were going to make sense of it all. As the night wore on, however, everyone managed to fall asleep.

They'd later wake up feeling more refreshed than they had in years. While most would simply play it off as a good night's sleep, in truth it was mostly due to Jack's meddling. While Jack had told them the truth, he had also been using several insects to cut through his bindings while they spoke. The process had taken some time but it was necessary to avoid their suspicion. Before long his ropes came lose and, just as a precaution, he'd had several of his spiders inject everyone with a nonlethal sleep tonic that would insure he'd be long gone before they woke.

Giving them one last hopeful look he began heading towards the coast. He had a job to do and, while he wasn't delighted about its planned outcome, he was resolute nonetheless. He didn't make it too far, though, as a solid wall of ice rose from a glyph on the ground to bar his path. Jack sighed, knowing all too well who it was. If he'd been smarter he would have checked to make sure each and every person had been accounted for.

"Normally I'd be impressed," Jack said, "but right now, I don't have time for such luxuries."

"So that's it? You're just going to run away?" Weiss asked. "What happened to your resolve? What happened to accepting the consequences of your actions?"

Jack didn't answer her at first. He took a moment to process his thoughts, brushing his thumb across his lips before turning to confront her. Weiss stood poised to attack, her rapier held out resolutely towards his chest. Her eyes were a mixture of anger and betrayal, an observation that left him feeling guilty about his decision.

"It's true, I'm running away, but not from Salem," he said. "I'm heading to Vacuo to confront her head on."

"I thought you said you didn't know where she was?" Weiss pointed out.

"I don't so I'm going to get her to come to me."

"How do you plan to accomplish that?"

"I have contacts along my route. All I need from them is to spread a simple rumor that I'm headed to Vacuo with a girl in a red hood."

"You're not taking Ruby. I won't let you," she said resolutely, her weapon inching closer to her target.

"I have no intention of taking Ruby with me. On the contrary, my plan is to lead Salem away from all of you."

Weiss was confused for a moment. His explanation didn't make sense. How did he intend to lead Salem away if he didn't actually have Ruby with him? It was a moment before the finer details of his plan began to make sense.

"You're going to use a decoy," she said.

"As sharp as always," he complemented with a smile. "Indeed, all I need is a corpse about her height and build, along with a makeshift red cloak. It doesn't need to be perfect, just enough to pass off as the real deal."

"You sound fairly confident in yourself."

"I know Anima better than most. It won't be difficult for me to find what I need."

"So, you spread some rumors, get her to come to you, then what? A big climatic battle? You walk away victorious, the lone survivor, a hero of the people? You honestly think it'll be enough to resolve you of everything you've done, that you'll have redeemed yourself?"

Jack's smile faded almost immediately. His eyes that had shone through the darkness now dimmed. Weiss could see something else was up. She'd been wrong in her assumptions but why did that feel so much worse?

"Weiss, we both know that isn't how things are going to end for me," he said. "This- this is the last time we'll see each other."

"No," she said, her form faltering slightly as she realized what he was saying. "You can't be serious."

"I don't plan to make it out alive. The least I can do is make my final moments count."

"No, you can't! I won't let you!" she said, throwing her guard down completely. "Your actions were selfish and dire but they don't require you to die simply to make things right again."

"I know but it's the best option I could come up with."

"There's always another option," she argued.

"Not this time. Not with what time we have. I'm not expecting forgiveness, only that you use what time I can give you wisely."

"No, I won't let you," she said, retaking her previous stance. "I won't let you throw your life away just like that."

"Then you're going to have to kill me," he said.

"What?"

"With everything I've done, Salem won't allow me to spend a day where I'm not looking over my shoulder for her. Not to mention, once your sister finds out what I've done, things will simply get worse. It's a losing battle either way. My leaving is the best option for everyone."

"That may be so but I won't allow you to leave so easily," she said.

"I didn't think you would," he replied.

Before Weiss could react, Jack shifted around the edge of her blade. Closing the distance between them, he closed in until their faces were just inches apart. Weiss knew what was about to happen. She could already feel the cold steel of his blades grazing her skin. A prick is all he'd need to immobilize her. She was ready. He wouldn't be able to pierce her aura without putting up a good fight and by then she'd have gained the upper hand.

However, instead of attacking with his blades he attacked with his lips. This wasn't unexpected though it wasn't something she'd anticipated. She struggled against him, trying to break free, but his grip held firm. May be it was because she wasn't completely committed to freeing herself from his grasp? This was the final moment they'd have with one another, after all.

After a while Jack released Weiss from his grip. Looking up into his eyes it was the first time that night that she actually took a good look at them. His gaze was mournful. He knew this would be his last goodbye but, even so, he didn't want it to be that way. Before he took his leave he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bottle with barely any liquid inside. In the dim light Weiss could see it was purple, an odd color for the substance to take on.

"Take this. Consider it my final gift to you."

"What is it?" she asked, looking curiously at its contents.

"It's a very unique and extremely powerful neurotoxin. This is all that's left of it in the world. I had planned on using it against Salem, though, all things considered, I thought it best if you took it."

"You're really committed to all of this, aren't you?" she asked, taking the bottle from him.

"I am, which is why I'm sorry things have to be this way."

His statement, while confusing, soon made sense to her. Almost immediately Weiss began to feel every muscle in her body start to give out. She would have assumed it was from a lack of sleep but the way her body refused to adhere to her desires left her feeling worried. It wasn't long before her legs gave out completely and Jack caught her nimbly in his arms, unphased by what was happening to her.

"What's… happening?" she said in a drawl.

"You didn't give me much choice," Jack said, wiping his mouth on the back of his glove before taking out a vile from his pocket and consuming a small portion of its contents. "You managed to out maneuver my first attempt to subdue you so I had to improvise."

"Why?"

"To keep you all safe. To prevent you from following me. Even if you know where I intent to go, Vacuo is a large kingdom. By the time you found me, I would have already met my end."

He carried her over to her sleeping bag and laid her down gently. In spite of the poison that Jack had slipped her, Weiss struggled internally just to move a finger. She couldn't allow herself to remain here, helpless, while he knowing raced towards his death. With on last mournful look he gazed down at her before planting a small kiss on her cheek and raced off into the woods.

"Jack," she uttered one last time, a single tear trickling down her face.

* * *

 **Well, we've reached that moment. Truth be told this was one of the chapters that I had originally envisioned writing right from the start. Of course some things have changed along the way but for the most part it's the same as I'd intended.**

 **At this point the story is going to diverge perspectives for a few chapters. We're going to see things from both Jack's point of view as well as Weiss. Plus, with the next chapter, Demi is going to be forced to make a drastic decision.**

 **I won't spoil anything but, rest assured I have some major plot developments planned out for the next few chapters. With that I want to end with this question. Do you think Jack will survive or will he die? To be honest, despite being a main character, I've come to learn that everyone is expendable to an extent when it comes to writing. Let me know in your reviews.**


	18. Chapter 17: Taking a Stand

**Anima Coastal Waters – Passenger Ship – Jack**

Jack gazed out on the endless horizon of the ocean. The setting sun shone beautifully over the gently waving water, creating an incredible picture of color. A few of the ship's couples gazed out onto the scene, their feelings of romance blossoming. Usually Jack would have found their public affections an annoyance. He'd have gone to his room, shutting out the distractions of the world, to focus on his next assignment. However, that was before.

Now all he could think about was Weiss. Far across the ocean, he wondered what she was doing, what she was thinking. Nothing his mind managed to conjure up helped his mood. With each scenario he played out in his head the outcome only acted as fuel for his ever increasing depression. If nothing else, he was certain that he had burned a bridge that he had no hope of repairing. There was no going back for him now. He'd betrayed the only people who'd treated like a friend and scorned the woman he loved. He'd lost everything and there was no one to blame for it except himself.

"Lovely view, isn't it?" he heard someone say.

Jack didn't reply. He barely had the will to utter an audible sound. He only vaguely nodded, acknowledging the man's presence. He knew who it was. He'd greeted each passenger personally as they boarded his vessel. The captain of the ship was an old, experienced sailor. His overall appearance, which was well kept despite having such a long white beard, showed the years of battles he'd won against the tides, storms, and Grimm. Few knew the open ocean as well as he did. One might even say he'd seen it all.

"View like this is something you'd want to share with someone special," the Captain continued, showing no offense to Jack's lack of response.

"If you were lucky enough to have someone, perhaps," Jack said, his dark mood seeping into his voice as he spoke.

"What about the young woman you came aboard with? Surely she's someone important to you?"

"My sister Ruby is asleep in her quarters," Jack answered flatly.

"Your sister, eh? No doubt she'd want to share this wonderful sight with her brother," the Captain continued.

"We're not that close," Jack answered, shooting down the man's suggestion almost immediately.

"That's a shame. A long voyage like this one can be tough if you don't have someone to share the experience with."

"Unfortunately, this isn't a pleasure cruise for me. This ship is merely the means whereby I'll finally be able to atone for my sins, both past and present."

"You remind me of a young woman I meet not too long ago," the Captain said. "A young cat faunus. I could tell right away that she was running from something as well."

"What makes you think I'm running from something?" Jack asked, a tone of malevolence in his voice.

"Just something an an old seadog like me managed to pick up along the voyage of life. Funny thing is, life has ways of surprising us. I could tell she was running from something and I also knew that that something wasn't going to leave her alone, even if she wanted to be."

"That seems a bit presumptuous of you to say," Jack noted.

"Not really. Turns out I was right. A young man, a monkey faunus, had actually tailed her all the way onto my ship. It was obvious he had an infatuation for her. Boy decided to listen to his heart and follow her all the way to Menagerie."

"I understand what you're getting at, Captain, but you're wrong this time. Life has no intention of following me to my destination. Where I'm headed, no one can follow."

"That may be but, in my experience, life has a way of surprising us in ways we least expect."

Without another word the Captain nodded politely to Jack before continuing his rounds along the ship. Jack gave the man a suspicious looked before returning his gaze to the ocean view. The man was wrong. There was no one coming for him, at least no one who intended to follow him. If nothing else, he'd prefer that Weiss and her team forget about him completely. Where he was headed, only Hell awaited his arrival. At the very least he could spare them the consequences of his actions, if only to buy them some time.

* * *

 **Anima – A few miles off the coast – Demi**

Light shone down through the trees, causing Demi to stir from her sleep. She couldn't remember when but at some point she'd lost consciousness during the night. While she felt refreshed, and honestly better than she'd felt the entirety of her mission, she still found it odd that she couldn't recall going to bed last night. As she stretched her tired limbs she rubbed her neck absentmindedly and felt something strange. Taking a moment, she ran her fingers over the spot, feeling a small bump on her neck. A bite mark perhaps? What had bitten her?

This thought took a backset almost immediately when she noticed something very wrong in the camp. Glancing at the tree where he father had been tied up she saw the pile of ropes and no Jack. Immediately she raced over to its base, examining the ropes to determine how he'd managed to escape. Though not very pronounced she was able to discern the frayed remains of the rope, a clear sign that something had chewed through them. Rubbing her neck again she realized what had happened. She'd been drugged, possibly everyone else as well, while Jack made his escape during the night.

"Everyone, get up!" she hollered, rushing back to their side.

Groggy moans greeted her as the teams slowly roused themselves from sleep. Some, Nora mostly, managed to ignore her cries completely and continued to snore loudly in protest.

"Jack's gone," she said, holding the ropes out for all to see.

"What?" Yang yelped, snatching the rope away from her to examine them. "Where's Ruby?" she asked frantically.

"I'm here," Ruby answered in a groggy voice.

"Thank goodness!" Yang said, relieved as she pulled her baby sister into a tight hug.

"Wait, where's Weiss?" Jaune asked, looking around the camp for the missing heiress.

"Ugh," she responded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she leaned against a tree for support.

"Weiss, Jack's gone," Yang informed her.

"Jack?" Weiss asked, still half asleep. It was a moment before she was able to recollect her thoughts. All at once her memory came back and her once sleepy eyes shot open in shock. "Jack, he's gone," she mumbled to no one in particular.

"We know. We just told you that. Are you feeling alright?" Yang asked.

"No, you don't understand. I confronted him last night when he tried to escape."

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know. He just," she paused for a moment, reflecting on their conversation the previous night. "We talked for a while and then he knocked me out with some sort of poison or toxin. I don't really know what happened."

"It must have been his spiders," Demi informed her. "I noticed a small bit mark on my neck this morning. I'm willing to bet we all have them. He must have knocked us out before making his escape."

"Any idea on where he might have gone?" Jaune asked.

"He mentioned going to Vacuo," Weiss answered.

"Good, then we should follow him," Yang said, pounding her fist into her palm.

"Hold on a minute Yang," Weiss interrupted. "Vacuo is a big place. We can't just go there expecting to pick up his trail. He could already be halfway across the ocean by now."

"So what, we just let him escape?" Yang shot back in ire.

"No, but we can't just rush after him. We need a plan."

"Maybe we should call Uncle Qrow. He might know where Jack is headed," Ruby suggested.

"Yea, I'll give him a call. Hopefully he's still somewhere in Anima," Yang said, taking out her scroll.

"I'll go wake Nora. We're going to need to head into town soon," Jaune said.

Demi shifted her gaze from each member in the group, studying their expressions. It was obvious that they were sharing a mutual feeling of frustration at Jack's escape. However, as her eyes settled on her mother, she couldn't help but feel she was leaving something out. Her hesitation during her recall of the previous night had come off as somewhat odd. Granted, with no idea what drug Jack had used on them it could very well be attributed to an unknown side effect. That being said, the guilt she thought she saw in her eyes told her something more had happened.

She'd ask her about it once they got into town. It was obvious it was something personal and, with the recent revelation of their relationship, it wouldn't surprise her if she tried to avoid the subject altogether. No doubt their exchange had been a fairly tense one. Still, why was her father headed to Vacuo? What did he have waiting for him there? So many unanswered questions, it seemed like it would be a very long time before they had regained their bearings on the situation.

Whether by luck or good fortune the group managed to get into contact with Qrow. Promising to meet them in the next town, it was a few hours before the old hunter finally showed. To their surprise he wasn't alone as Winter, along with Oscar, showed up as well. While seeing her sister was usually a happy affair for Weiss, today her emotions were in such a state of turmoil that she found it difficult to even force a simple smile.

After purchasing a hotel room, the group got down to debriefing Qrow on recent events. Surprisingly the man showed little emotion throughout their retelling of their journey while Winter showed obvious signs of apprehension when it was brought to light of Jack's previous loyalties. Weiss couldn't even bring herself to look her sister in the eye during the exchange. While they'd thankfully left out the detail's of her and Jack's relationship she couldn't help but feel guilty for all the things she was keeping secret from her sister.

"When we woke up this morning we found Jack gone. He'd cut his ropes in the middle of the night and took off. At best we think he's headed to Vacuo but we can't be too sure," Yang concluded.

"I see," Qrow said thoughtfully, taking a drink from his flask.

"Indeed. This is quite troubling," Oscar, now Ozpin, agreed.

Prior to their conversation the young boy revealed himself to all about his dual identity. While this had come as a surprise to them, the initial shock had been far less than anticipated. Considering recent events, however, it wasn't hard to figure out why.

"We should go after him. I can call Ironwood and request a small task force," Winter started.

"Winter, hold on a minute," Qrow interjected.

"I will not! The more time we waste sitting her talking the colder his trail will become. Before long we will have lost all trace of him completely."

"I'm afraid we're long past that point, Miss Schnee," Ozpin pointed out. "For as long as I've known Jack Brisbane he's always been able to hid his tracks with ease. No doubt his departure to Vacuo was a critical part of his intention to evade capture. The majority of the kingdom is enveloped by a sea of desert, with oasis sprinkled throughout. At this point it would be next to impossible for us to pursue him as we'd have no idea where is intended destination is."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" she asked in retort.

"We take this time to rest and meditate on what's happened. With all this new information there's a lot that needs to be taken into consideration. I also think it would be best if your sister and her friends had a moment to rest. They've obviously had a long journey and have overcome a great deal. They deserve some well needed relaxation."

"In the meantime I'll hit up some old contacts. No doubt someone will have noticed Jack passing through here recently," Qrow volunteered and without another word disappeared from the room.

* * *

 **Vacuo – Somewhere in the desert – Jack**

If there was anything to be said about Vacuo it was that it had a knack for sifting out those unsuitable to survive its harsh terrain. One of the first lessons Jack had learned when he first came to this Kingdom several years back was that the only reason anyone lived here was because they had mastered the environment, learned its secrets, and adapted to the harsh consequences that came with living in a barren wasteland. The end result had ensured that those who succeeded were rewarded immensely in ways most people would overlook as something trivial and unimportant.

The first lesson he learned on his trip to Vacuo was that the desert had two settings; extreme heat during the day and extreme cold during the night. Most people only ever paid attention to the first half, never suspecting that what felt like walking through an oven would eventually flip on itself and become a freezer.

Fortunately for Jack he had learned from his first trip. The end result was that he'd taken up sowing. Sowing dust into his clothing, that is. With how limited his wardrobe was, especially considering how he liked to travel light, he'd learned to utilize the natural power of dust to help compensate for Mother Nature's obscene dysfunctional behavior in this part of the world. While he still wore his large coat, boots, and jeans, beneath them he wore a shirt and undergarments into which he'd sown ice dust. The result was that with each step he took his movement activated the dust just enough to send a cool breeze over his skin, alleviating the bothersome heat from the sun.

He had not done the same for the nights he spent there, though. Instead he'd sown fire dust into his sleeping bag, insuring that, when his campfire finally died, he'd remain comfortably warm despite the below freezing temperatures of the desert. Indeed, Jack had learned to compensate for any and all challenges he'd face upon returning to Vacuo. Unlike last time his presence here would not be a temporary one.

Gazing out onto the endless sea of sand he found he had a great deal of time to contemplate the consequences that would follow. Already he'd prepared himself for the coming battle, the first few layers of sand hiding an immense amount of undisturbed remains. He'd considered himself fortunate that, even after the eighty or so years since the battle had ended, there were still large amounts of human and faunus remains that had either gone unclaimed by families and wildlife or unnoticed. At most there were perhaps several dozens buried beneath the sands but he knew he didn't have the time nor strength to utilize them all.

His performance at his village had been an isolated incident. He'd pushed himself to his absolute limits, nearly taking his life in the process. Ironic that his powers over the dead would almost cause him to become one of them. Now it just seemed sad that he had every intention of joining them.

Glancing up at the shattered moon that hovered overhead he began to wonder what would become of him. No doubt Salem wouldn't allow him to rest in peace. He'd hoped that, at the very least, he would be allowed to be laid to rest with the rest of the fallen soldiers here. Better to join the countless unknowns rather than be made into a slave for Salem's own ends.

* * *

 **Anima Coast – Hotel Room – Weiss**

Weiss felt terrible. She wasn't certain but she knew partly what was the cause of it all. It was guilt. Guilt for having not stopped Jack from leaving. Guilt for keeping secrets from her sister Winter as well as her team. Guilt for simply failing in so many ways in such a short time. She hated it but more than that she hated herself for having been so powerless to do anything.

She lay on the bed in her room, staring at the bottle of venom Jack had left with her before departing. It was the only thing she had left of him and somehow it was a gift that suited him. Unassuming, harmless in appearance, yet this small dose would be enough to leave a grown man powerless, perhaps even kill them. Just like Jack who was a man she'd know so little about and thought just as less of him only to find that he was far more dangerous than he appeared.

" _It's not his fault,"_ she heard her mental voice argue. _"He had no one. He was rejected by everyone. He was alone."_

It was a terrible excuse for the man's actions but, all things considered, it was the only one she had. While she could sympathize with him for being distant with her family members, she at least had her sister Winter to support her. He'd had his sister as well but, once she was gone, his only semblance of happiness disappeared with her.

While she laid on the bed in her somewhat depressed mood she was startled by the soft knock on the door. Immediately assuming it was Winter she sprang to her feet. She franticly smoothed out her hair and cloths, making sure everything was in place, before stashing the bottle away. Picture perfect, Weiss walked to the door, expecting to see her sister standing erect in the hallway.

"Demi?" Weiss asked, bewildered to see her instead.

"Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," Weiss replied, doing her best to hide her discomfort.

"May I come in?"

Weiss hesitated for a moment before stepping aside to allow her into the room. She felt a little wary of Demi. She didn't know much about her but, for some reason, she always had this feeling that she knew her somehow. What's more, though she'd simply written it off as simple a coincidence, she strangely thought she looked a little like Jack. Not too much but there were some features about her that mirrored Jack completely.

"I wanted to ask you something," Demi said, shooting Weiss a look of concern. "Your altercation with Jack, you left some things out deliberately didn't you?"

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, immediately on the defensive.

"What I mean is you and Jack had just started a relationship. I don't know how long you two had been together but it was obvious from the subtle signs I saw that you two were close. The fact that you were the one to confront him prior to his escape was no coincidence. You knew, or least suspected, that he was going to break out of his restraints. I just want to know what happened."

"I'd rather not talk about," Weiss said, feeling rather flustered by Demi's request.

"Please Weiss. It's important."

Weiss was tentative at first. It seemed strange that Demi would want to know about their exchange. The fact of the matter was that their conversation had been rather personal as well as confrontational. She'd felt so angry, so betrayed by this man whom she'd allowed into her heart. She who had always distrusted men, viewing them as nothing more than greedy letches looking to use her for her family fortune and position, had allowed him to see her as she truly was.

He hadn't mocked her for it. In fact, he'd embraced it. He'd given her his support in pursuing her goal of retaking her family's company. She hadn't expected that. It had been strange, having someone outside her family willing to give her everything she needed to accomplish her goals without expecting anything in return. Yet, he'd hidden so much from her. How could she know that his intentions hadn't been part of his façade?

"Weiss?"

"We talked, alright?" Weiss snapped.

"That's not good enough."

"Why do you need to know? He betrayed us. He betrayed me."

"I don't believe that and I know you don't either."

"What could possibly make you think that I still trusted him?"

"The fact that he was able to incapacitate you," Demi argued. "We both know that you're more than skilled enough to be a threat against him. You're better trained than most huntresses yet he was able to defeat you with little effort. It's obvious something happened that you aren't telling us, something more."

"There was something more," Weiss admitted out of frustration. "The night he escaped, when everyone else had been poisoned, I managed to evade his first attempt. I had him cornered, held captive by the point of Myrtenaster. I should have ended it there, taken him down before he had a chance to counter, but like an idiot I gave him a chance. I listened to what he had to say, listened to him apologize for everything he'd done."

By this point hot, angry tears began flowing down Weiss' face. She remembered everything he'd said to her, the sincerity in his voice as he spoke and the way she'd felt while listening. Her turbulent emotions had caused her to hesitate and yet somehow she didn't feel guilty for allowing him to leave. Without realizing it Demi had approached her and embraced her shaking form in her arms. The sudden act startled Weiss and, while her initial feeling was to break free, she nonetheless embraced it, the sympathetic act comforting and welcome.

"I don't understand," she said between sobs. "I loved him. I trusted him and he betrayed us. How could he do that? How could he lie to us, to me? How could he keep some many secrets?"

"I don't know. I don't have all the answers. What I do know is that he needs us now more than ever. He told us himself that he was never on Salem's side and I believe him. I think you do to. I don't think you'd have let him go if some part of you didn't still trust him."

"It doesn't matter now," Weiss said, breaking away from Demi, "he's gone, disappeared into the kingdom of Vacuo."

"Maybe. Maybe not. When he told you he was going to Vacuo did he mention anything else?"

"Just some cryptic nonsense. What does it matter? With how much of the kingdom is covered in sand it would be next to impossible to find him."

"Please Weiss, just think for a moment. What did he say exactly? Maybe there's a clue in his cryptic message?"

"He said it would be the final battle. I assumed he meant that it would be his last fight against Salem, nothing more."

"I see," Demi said, thinking over the statement carefully. "Seems rather poetic really."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, to have his final battle in Vacuo reminds me of the Great War. The last battle fought there was- "

Demi stopped mid-sentence. An idea had suddenly hit her. Thinking it over it made sense, though to be honest, it was a bit of a stretch. However, considering their options it was the best chance they had at finding her father before his final moments.

"I think I know where he is," Demi said. "Come on, we have to tell the others. We may still have time to save him."

"Hold on!" Weiss interjected, grabbing onto Demi's arm before she could make it to the door. "I have some questions of my own, questions that need to be answered."

"Can't they wait for another time?"

"No, it's important that I know now."

"Alright, what do you need to know?"

"With everything that's happened, your interest in my relationship with Jack as well as your concern for his whereabouts, I can't help but wonder if you have feelings for him?"

"What?"

"Don't try to hide it. You've always been supportive of him. You even realized we were in a relationship before we had a chance to tell everyone. I know it sounds shrewd of me to say but I can't help but think you were acting out of jealousy."

"Weiss," Demi said, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, "I care for Jack, that much is true, but not in the way you think."

"Then what is it then?"

"I can't say. Besides, you wouldn't believe me even if I were to explain it to you."

"Try me," Weiss said with a cocked eyebrow.

"Alright," Demi conceded, "but, whatever happens, please allow me to explain everything before you jump to conclusions."

Weiss looked quizzically at Demi for a moment but nonetheless kept her mouth shut. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves Demi lifted her hand to her wig. Taking a firm hold she slowly removed the hair piece, allowing her hair to fall naturally down to her shoulders. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself to go without the wig that the feeling of her own hair felt almost foreign.

As soon as the wig was off Demi ventured a look at her mother. It was obvious from Weiss' expression that she was struggling to find the words to fit just how she felt at that moment. She could see so many feelings shift through her expressions. Her confusion at her actions, the realization of who she was, the disbelief at having the truth starring her in the face despite finding it difficult to believe. It was a painfully long silence and one that Demi dared not to break for fear of what Weiss might say or do.

"Who are you?" Weiss finally managed to ask.

"My name is Demi Schnee," she said. "I'm the daughter of Weiss Schnee and," she paused for a moment, considering the gravity of what she was about to say, "Jack Brisbane. I'm your child."

"That's not possible," Weiss said, taking a step back.

"I know it's difficult to believe and, considering the circumstances, I wouldn't blame you. In truth it'll be years before I'm born."

"That's not the point. You expect me to believe that you're my daughter and that Jack is your father? Do you realize what you're saying?"

"You have no idea," Demi replied. "Ever since I was a child I've always wanted to live up to the example you and my father set. Your sister, Winter, raised me on tales of the heroics you and Jack participated in. They made me want to become a huntress, to become someone people could depend on, could look up to."

"Hold on a moment. What you do you mean were raised on tales regarding us?"

Demi's gaze shrank to the floor. The situation had been a poor one and, being reminded of the events that would one day transpire only made things worse for her. "When I was only five years old you and Jack left for a mission tracking down a traitor from Atlas. You two never returned and I spent my life hardly ever knowing my parents. The fact that I'm here at all, traveling alongside you two is a far greater blessing than I could have ever hoped for."

"We're dead?" Weiss asked out loud, taking in exactly what Demi had just said. "How did it happen?"

"I'm not sure. The reports were inconclusive. All I know is that the man responsible for your deaths was just barely captured afterwards."

"Who was he?"

"James Ironwood."

"Ironwood! You mean General Ironwood?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Not any more. At least, not in the future."

"Hold on a minute. I'm a little confused. What do you mean 'in the future?"

For the next ten minutes Demi began reciting the series of events that had lead to her journey into the past. She talked of her relationship with Winter, her training, her desire to bring Ironwood in herself causing her to be flung into the past along with him. As she spoke she paid close attention to the way Weiss regarded her. She knew that much of what she was revealing to her would be considered a fanciful story.

However, Weiss made few expressions that showed any inclination that she thought Demi was crazy or insane. It was reassuring to her to know that, despite having little in the way of a relationship with her, her mother at least didn't think she was crazy. When she was finished she waited to her Weiss' response. She felt nervous, more so than she'd ever felt in her entire life.

"So you really believe everything you've just told me?" Weiss asked tentatively.

"It's rather difficult not to when you've experienced it all first hand," Demi replied.

"True enough," Weiss admitted, "I suppose you'd like me to believe all of it as well, right?"

"Honestly, what I want has always been to have my family back. I never really had a whole lot of time with you two and what few memories I have were tainted by Ironwood's actions. I don't expect you believe a word I've said. In truth, I'm willing to settle for simply having both of you alive and well, but for that to happen we'd need to go find Jack."

"I see," Weiss said, the words heavy with emotion. "Demi, I can't promise that things between Jack and myself are going to be better. I can't even begin to assume that I might be able to forgive him but- "

"You don't hate him," Demi concluded. "I know. Like I said, I'll be happy just knowing you two are alive. I'll leave forgiving him up to you."

"Right. Well then, I think it's time we speak to everyone else about our little plan. No doubt Yang will be ecstatic to hear it," she said sarcastically.

"Yea, Yang could always be a little hotheaded, but I'm not worried about her."

"Who are you worried about?"

"Your sister. Our last meeting didn't end on the best of terms and, to be honest, I'm a little nervous about revealing myself to her once again."

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Winter said, seething with anger. "I forbid you from going after him."

"Winter, please," Weiss pleaded.

"No, it was bad enough that I allowed him to act as your guardian throughout Mistral but this is heresy. All this time he was one of Salem's followers. There's no telling what could happen if you were to follow him to Vacuo."

"He's not one of Salem's servants. He was never loyal to her in the first place," Demi argued.

"You stay out of this. This is a family matter and I have a dew words of my own regarding your escape from custody. Your actions alone have made you an enemy of the kingdom of Atlas."

"If we continue to stand around here arguing then there will no longer be a kingdom of Atlas or any other kingdom for that matter. We need to go help Jack before he senselessly throws away his life."

"Let him," Winter said in a hostile tone. "The man is a traitor. If his actions come at the cost of his life, then it is well deserved."

"Winter, how can you say something like that?" Weiss questioned, appalled by her sister's uncharacteristic demeanor. "I'll admit his actions were selfish and manipulative but no one deserves to die. Saying something like that makes us no better than our enemies."

"She has a point, Ice Queen," Qrow interjected.

"Stay out of this Qrow, this has nothing to do with you."

"I disagree. If you haven't already forgotten my niece was the target of Jack's supposed betrayal. He was meant to kidnap her and take her back to Salem. He didn't and I've been able to confirm that Jack has so far kept his word."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, the slightest bit of hope evident in her tone.

"I've been looking into some rumors that have been floating around. Apparently people have seen a person matching Jack's description making his way to Vacuo. What's more he was accompanied by someone dressed in a red cloak. They didn't get a good glimpse of her face but, from what I've heard, her physical description alone matches Ruby fairly well. If I were Salem, even the slightest chance that the person traveling with Jack was indeed Ruby would be enough to warrant an investigation. No doubt she already has some of her people hot on his trail."

"All of that is irrelevant," Winter snapped. "Regardless of how much you argue the fact remains that his actions are inexcusable. He is a traitor and a fugitive. No one is to go after him."

"You've changed Winter," Weiss said, giving her older sister a look of concern. "You never would have allowed anyone to simply lay down and die. You may have had little tolerance for betrayal but you were never so cruel. What's become of you? What happened to the sister I admired?"

Winter's hard look softened for a moment. Her sister's words cut her to her core. True, she'd once been more merciful to individuals who'd shown cowardice. She'd even allowed herself to feel sympathetic to their feelings and overall desire to live. However, times had changed and she along with them. She could no longer afford to be soft. She had to be impervious to anything that threatened to destroy her.

"Regardless of whether or not you'll support me, I am going after Jack. I will bring him back home."

"Weiss, stop!" Winter called out.

"Don't worry, she won't be going alone," Demi said, moving to follow Weiss.

"No, I forbid you from leaving," Winter said, drawing her rapier. "If I have to use force to stop you, rest assured I will."

Before Winter had a chance to intercept the two girls a snow white glyph appeared before her and erupted in a flurry of light. Seconds later a White Great Ursi stood towering over her. It's long spikes making its already impressive form appear even more intimidating, the creature roared a warning in Winter's face.

Completely caught off guard by the summons of the creature, Winter looked to her sister Weiss, expecting to see a look of confidence from the young heiress at having stood up to her sister. She was even more perplexed, however, to see her starring at the creature with a look of surprise of her own. Her eyes then flashed to Demi who stood poised with her own sword stuck into the ground, her eyes burning like tiny embers as she glared at her.

Weiss could only look on at Demi, her mind racing through their earlier conversation. So much of it had sounded crazy but seeing her summon- it shouldn't be possible. The only explanation was that Demi was in fact a Schnee. If that was true how much more of what she'd told her was true as well? How much had Weiss simply assumed was an elaborate story?

"Who are you?" Winter asked in disbelief.

"I am my mother's daughter," Demi answered. "I was trained to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, to protect the weak and innocent, to be a light of hope to those who have none. Whatever quarrels or misgivings you may have regarding Jack stop here. We are going to save him and no one, not even you, are going to stand in our way of saving his life."

Without another word Demi diminished the summoned Uris, watching as it faded from existence before taking the lead out the door. The room was silent then as everyone took the time to digest what they'd just seen. So many questions that flowed through their heads. So little they'd known about Demi. What they did know for sure was this. The two of them couldn't go it alone.

* * *

 **Apologies for the long absence. Between the holidays and some recent events at work I've had little time to work on my stories. I only just managed to get this chapter done despite having some writers block here and there.**

 **As it stands there's two chapters left in this story arc. The next chapter followed by the epilogue will finish things out for the characters and, honestly, I'm really excited. Once this is done I'll be spending some more time working on "World War Remnant" but, rest assured, the sequel to this will be appearing within a month or so.**

 **I hope you've all enjoyed the story thus far. Leave a review of your thoughts for this chapter and be on the lookout for more. Until next time RWBY fans.**


	19. Chapter 18: High Noon Showdown

**Vacuo Desert – Early morning – Jack**

Jack stirred from his sleep. The past few days he'd hardly slept for a full night. He'd taken to sleeping in shifts to insure he wasn't caught off guard by Salem's cohorts. Unfortunately, this had led to some slight paranoia as every snake, lizard, and buzzard that came within his rang of influence had him on his feet, ready for an attack. This time, however, it was no false alarm.

Walking casually into his camp Cinder, flanked by her disciples Mercury and Emerald, approached him. While Cinder wore a look of confidence, her followers did share her feelings. Mercury was obviously disgruntled to have to face Jack once more, his expression showing more malice than arrogance. Emerald appeared tense. Her arm twitched slightly as she approached, the involuntary action becoming more pronounced the closer she drew to him.

Seeing these three brought a well of mixed feelings to the surface of Jack's mind. In a way he felt somewhat nostalgic at the sight. It had been these three who'd first attempted to recruit him into Salem's ranks before abducting him when he refused. Now they were once again charged with bringing him to Salem only this time the situation would play out differently.

"Hello Jack, its been a while," Cinder greeted him.

"I see you've regained your voice, Cinder. How unfortunate. I may not have liked Watts but we could at least agree that the lose of your voice was an asset we greatly enjoyed," Jack replied.

Emerald looked irritated by the comment and made a move for her weapons. Cinder calmly stopped her by putting out her exposed arm, a sign to hold her temper in check. Her other arm remained hidden beneath the long sleeve of her dress, a detail Jack kept in mind. Whatever was hidden beneath was sure to be a trump card.

"Contrary to what you may believe we aren't here to fight. We've been sent to offer you an olive branch."

"Really? Salem has you acting under the banner of peace? That sounds like a conflict of interest to me."

"On the contrary, its of benefit to all. My mistress has asked that I make you an offer, one you'd be foolish to refuse."

"Careful, I may just surprise you," Jack answered in retort.

"So will we. Salem has asked us to offer you a seat at her table as one of her main generals in the coming war and a crucial instrument in her plans to reshape Remnant. In addition to this power she's also willing to offer you something more, something you greatly desire."

"Which would be?"

"She is aware of your infatuation with the Schnee girl, Weiss I believe her name is. How would you like to have her by your side as well?"

The connection Jack had to his hidden soldiers faltered for a moment. The effect of Cinder's words was obvious as she smiled coyly at him. He couldn't believe her words. He didn't want to believe them. Here she was, offering him Weiss as if she were a prize to be won. The initial surprise faded away before being replaced by anger. His connection reestablished, his servants waited with baited breath ready to kill at their master's command.

"Salem wants to offer me Weiss Schnee, as if she had the power to do so," he hissed.

"You know as well as I do that Salem is more than capable of keeping her word."

"I also know that she deliberately leaves out the cost of keeping such promises."

"Everything comes at a price, Jack. You should know that better than anyone."

"It's not a question of if I know, it's a question of whether or not you knew."

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Jack growled. "I may not know a great about your past but what I do know is that when Salem found you she offered you the one thing you craved more than anything; power. She promised you the power of a maiden and she delivered but at an undisclosed price.

Tell me, Cinder dear, was it all worth it? All the people you cut down on your path to success, all the lives you took, the people you used. Was it all worth it? Then, on top of Beacon Tower, when you'd finally gained your new found powers, when you'd defeated Pyrrha Nikos and claimed victory over Ozpin, did you ever consider the cost of such a victory?

You never took that into consideration, did you? You never thought that, as you turned the young girl into ashes, that another young woman would rise to defeat you? You never considered that within the tiny frame of that young girl lay a far greater power, dormant until it was forced to the surface. You never considered that she might have a power even she did not know she had and that it would rear its head just in time to turn your sweet victory into ashes in your mouth.

Now tell me, Cinder dear, was it all worth it? Did the power gained outweigh the cost?"

Cinder stood quivering with anger. Jack's words had cut her to the core. She had come expecting to find a broken man but instead was met with insults and reminders of her failure. While her orders had been to bring Jack in alive there had been no mention as to what state he was expected to be in. If she were to bring him back charred and scarred, she could at least employ the excuse that he had refused to go willingly.

"I have a question for you, Jack," she shot back, "what price are you willing to pay for refusing Salem's offer? Are you willing to sacrifice the Schnee girl just to maintain your freedom?"

"That's a stupid question," Jack said. "I already know the cost I will have to pay and I will pay it in full. Weiss will not be affected by it, that much I can guarantee."

Through with talking, Cinder whipped back her sleeve in preparation for her assault. Jack knew immediately what was about to follow and without hesitating leaped back. From beneath his previous position a lone skeleton lurched out of the sand, clawing its way to the surface before charging Cinder. The fall maiden didn't hesitate to attack, finding the meager assault disappointing, and shot out a wave of flame.

This was exactly what Jack had wanted her to do. Despite her assumptions Jack had a much greater tactical mindset than Cinder realized. He'd known that, even when coming to an ancient graveyard that was once a battlefield would offer him an immeasurable number of servants, they were only skeletons and therefore lacking in power and brute strength. However, prior to their arrival, Jack had seen to compensating for his servant's lack of power.

Cinder's flames tore through the dirty cloak the skeleton wore over its torso like tissue paper. What she didn't realize was that, just beneath the cloak was hidden a small pouch nestled within its ribcage. As soon as the flames torched the pouch they ignited the fire dust within, causing a chain reaction that further ignited the fire crystal stuffed inside.

The explosion took them by surprise, causing them to take the full brunt of the impact with their auras. What made it worse wasn't just the immense explosion but the bits of bone that shot out like tiny shards of glass. Only Jack appeared to be unharmed, his initial retreat putting him out of harm's way. Before Cinder and her cohorts could counterattack, however, three more skeletons rose to aid Jack in his endeavors. Just as before they wore dirty, tarnished cloaks, each one undoubtedly hiding an explosive pouch beneath.

"I lured you here readily prepared to die," Jack stated, "but that doesn't mean I'll make my death an easy one. By the time I go down you'll be forced to realize that the cost of this victory comes at a far greater cost than you were willing to pay."

The skeletons charged, each one going for one of the three. They each retreated, knowing that to stick too close to one another would only cause greater problems for their group. Putting some distance between himself and the undead, Mercury let off a shot aimed at the creature's head and legs. He was successful and his attack disabled the creature without compromising the explosive.

"So much for you plan," Mercury said. "Can't do much if your explosive doesn't go off."

"What makes you think that skeleton had an explosive?" Jack shot back.

Confused by his response, Mercury quickly tore the cloak from the skeleton only to find its chest cavity empty. The creature had been harmless but why? Before he could finish his thought, two pairs of skeletal arms shot out from the sand and latched onto his legs. He had barely enough time to react as both skeletons ignited their pouches, sending him flying and charring his pants in the processes.

"I'd say don't think too much but, then again, thinking never was your strong suit," Jack joked.

Cinder and Emerald were having a difficult time as well with their own assailants. While some of Jack's servants were human skeletons he'd also thrown in a few animals such as dogs and even a few birds for added measure. Unlike their large counterparts they didn't contain fire dust. Jack had stuffed them with ice and lightening dust to shack things up and make it that much more difficult.

As they fought to keep themselves from being blown to smithereens, Jack sat back, concentrating while attempting to keep his cool. He was doing well with his semblance. Unlike his past experiences, this time he used as little energy as was necessary to move the skeletons. Rather than use the whole frame he focused on specific portions of the body. The result was more efficient and less taxing but nonetheless he was still beginning to feel tired.

It didn't matter, though. His intention wasn't to win, he merely needed to scar them, leave them with a memory they'd never forget. However, if he managed to take one of them down or even two, that much would make their defeat all the sweeter for him. With this in mind, though, he saw little benefit coming from either Mercury or Emerald. No, he'd focus on Cinder. If he could kill her then he'd not only weaken Salem's hold on Remnant but give Weiss and her friends a little breathing room. If, on the other, he was only able to add to her wounds then so be it. Better to bite off a chunk rather than leave her unscathed.

* * *

 **Anima coast – The Docks – Weiss**

Weiss had left the hotel and her sister in a flurry. Her movements, fueled by passion and adrenaline, had quickly slowed the moment she'd reached the coastal town. Seeing the boats brought the reality of her actions to the surface of her mind. She couldn't believe she was going to abandon everyone again and for what? Sure, to save Jack, but what if they were too late? What if he was already dead and they were simply heading into a trap?

"Weiss!" she heard Demi say.

"What?" she said, startled out of her thoughts.

"Did you hear me? I said the last ship headed for Vacuo left an hour ago."

"Is there anything else? What about one heading to Vale? We could get off their and take another boat to Vacuo or maybe an airship?"

"That would take too long. A direct route would be faster. Any detours would just increase Jack's chances of dying before we ever made it."

"I know I just- "she stopped, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, "I'm at a lose of what to do."

"We'll get there in time, don't worry," Demi consoled Weiss but from the sound of her voice it was more for her benefit than her mother's.

"I know," Weiss said reassuringly.

"Weiss! Demi!" they heard someone yell.

Both young ladies turned in surprise to see Ruby, Yang, and team JNPR heading towards them. Qrow and Winter were absent but, for the time being, that small detail was greatly appreciated. Ruby was out in front, waving madly as she hurried towards them.

"Ruby, what are you doing here?" Weiss asked, her concern overshadowed by her appreciation.

"We're here to help you, of course," Ruby said matter-of-factly. "We can't let you go off to Vacuo without us to watch your backs."

"I still don't trust Jack," Yang admitted, "but I do trust you and I'll follow you where ever you need to go."

"Thank you," Weiss said, doing her best to hold back the tears that were forming.

"So, how do we get there?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not sure. All the boats to Vacuo have already left. Any other detours would take too long. I'm not sure what we can do."

"I've actually been thinking about that and I my have come up with a solution," Demi said, "but you're not going to like it."

"Why not?" Ruby asked, confused.

"Do you two remember how you first became partners back at Beacon?"

"How could I forget?" Weiss asked in retort, rolling her eyes as she recalled the fiasco that had ensued moments after becoming teammates.

"Do you remember the Nevermore you'd fought?"

"Oh yea, that battle was awesome," Yang chimed in.

"You'd think that but you didn't spend a terrifying ride on its back all the way to the temple," Weiss chided her.

As soon as she said those words her eyes shifted to Demi. Her daughter wore a sheepish smile on her face, almost apologetic. It didn't take her long to figure out why.

"Please no," she said.

"Sorry, but it's the only thing I could think of and it would be the most direct route."

"What's she talking about?" Ruby asked Weiss.

"Just hang on tight. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

* * *

 **Vacuo – Jack**

"Enough!" Cinder yelled.

In a show of power, the woman sent out of wave of fire, charring all of Jack's servants to a crisp. Whatever dust effects they'd harbored within themselves was quickly destroyed, ensuring Mercury and Emerald were sparred the onslaught of another explosion. Jack himself was at his limit. While he'd managed to keep them at bay for a time it had only been temporary. He'd known that, sooner or later, his semblance would run out, leaving him vulnerable.

"I must admit, Jack, I'm surprised you were able to last this long. Pity that you won't be joining us."

"I never intended to," Jack replied.

"Neither did I. As far as Salem will know you died in the heat of battle. She'll be disappointed by this outcome, of course, but it'll be minor at best. Truth be told, your semblance doesn't even compare to the power of a maiden's," Cinder boasted.

"Nor to the intensity of their arrogance, it would seem," he shot back.

Having lost her patience with the man long ago Cinder shot a fireball towards him. Jack managed to just barley leap out of the way but was propelled across the sand by the after shock. He struggled to his knees, his body almost completely drained of energy. He was running on fumes. Cinder approached him, looking down at him with contempt.

"Look at you. Such a pathetic sight. All your futile attempts to defeat us and here you are, crawling away. Did you honestly believe you'd make it out of this fight alive?"

Jack's reply to Cinder was something she hadn't expected. Rather than say something he instead began to laugh. It wasn't forced but genuine and that made it all the more aggravating.

"What's so funny?"

"You think I did all this, believing I'd actually stand a chance of winning?" he asked. "I knew I was dead long before I set foot in this desert. I never intended to live. I came here to die. This is to be my final resting place."

"If you've already accepted your death then why go through this elaborate façade? What could you possibly hope to accomplish?"

"Taking one or all of you with me."

Now it was Cinder's turn to laugh. The man's statement was amusing though futile at best.

"You honestly think your display out there would be enough to defeat us?" she asked, wiping away a tear of laughter.

"Did you honestly believe that was my whole plan?" he asked, sneering up at her. "You really are an idiot. That was just a prelude of what's to come."

Unbeknownst to Cinder, just below the sand lay a small army of the dead. Numbering close to fifty in total, the act of raising them all at once would quite possibly be enough to kill him. Unfortunately for her he had every intention of taking her with him. He reached out, connecting himself to each and everyone of the skeletons. He'd been careful to take note of each of their positions before hand to make it easier.

Before he could make his move, however, a large shadow flew over them, drawing the groups attention. As it passed a large white feather drifted softly to the ground, landing just in front of Jack before dissipating in a flurry of white snow. Jack was hesitant to look up, hoping his suspicions weren't true. Sure enough, flying overhead was a nevermore, white as freshly fallen snow.

"What the hell is that?" Mercury asked, gazing up at the creature.

Jack felt his heart plummet into his stomach. Why were they here? Surely he'd made it clear they had no need to follow him? Had they come to drag him back regardless? Before he could think of a reason for their sudden appearance, a lone figure began plummeting to the ground. It didn't take long to figure out who it was and Jack immediately retreated to a safer distance.

Yang, the blond brawler, smashed her fist into the sand, kicking up a cloud that sent Cinder and her team sprawling backwards. The sand pelted Jack as well, obscuring his vision of the battle field. He hadn't planned on the arrival of team RWBY. He'd staked everything on the assumption he'd be fighting alone.

"Jack, are you alright?" Demi asked, racing to her father's side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jack asked, doing his best to sound irritated despite being completely drained.

"Saving your ass, that's what," Yang said in retort. "Don't worry, I'm not here for you. I here to help Weiss and that's it."

"What? Weiss is here?" he asked.

"Of course she is. Who did you think convinced us to come rescue you?"

Jack was taken aback by what Yang told him. Considering how things had ended between the two of them he wouldn't have been surprised if she had done her best to forget about him completely. The fact that she had convinced her team to come and aid him was beyond his comprehension. It was almost too much for believe. Thankfully there was an abundance of things to keep his mind preoccupied.

From the moment Yang hit the ground her team had sprung into action. Emerald and Mercury had their hands full with team JNPR while Ruby and Weiss tag teamed Cinder. It was an awe inspiring sight but one he knew wouldn't last. Cinder was far too powerful for them. At most they could offer a worthwhile distraction but, aside from that, her maiden powers would enable her to completely overpower them. There was only one thing that could be done.

Once more Jack reached out towards the undead. He began pushing his semblance to the limit, feeling the toll being taken out on his body for exceeding his energy limit. It didn't matter to him. One by one he felt them being connected to his consciousness, like puppets on a string. The effect was immediate and obvious. Sweat poured down his face and his breathing became heavy and labored.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Demi asked, taking notice of his deteriorating state of health.

Jack didn't answer. He was too focused on his task. With all his concentration on raising the fallen soldiers he didn't feel the warm liquid that poured from his nose and left a metallic task in his mouth. Demi noticed it immediately. He was bleeding from his nose; his body being pushed beyond its limits.

"Jack, stop, you're killing yourself!" Demi stated, quickly wiping away the blood.

Demi was at a loss of what to do. On the one hand she knew her father was overexerting his semblance, the act of which was slowly killing him. Her natural instinct was to stop him immediately, both as a means of self-preservation as well as his. On the other hand, she knew he wasn't doing this simply for the hell of it. He obviously knew something they didn't and to break his concentration now might make things worse.

"Demi, what's going on?" Jaune asked, racing to her side.

"I'm not sure. Jack is doing something but, whatever it is, it's killing him."

"Then we need to stop him."

"No!" she blurted out, causing Jaune to look at her with obvious concern. "I'm not sure what he's doing but, whatever it is, it's going to be big. Stopping him now could cause a backlash that just might kill him."

"If he keeps going it's going to kill him," Jaune argued.

"He knows that," she said.

Out in the desert things were progressing quite differently. While Ren and Nora had little trouble in dealing with Mercury and Emerald thanks to Jack's previous actions, the fight against Cinder was another story entirely. While Ruby and Weiss had taken Cinder by surprise, the initial advantage they'd gained from this was short lived.

Through the use of her maiden powers Cinder had managed to push both young woman back, putting them on the defensive as they desperately fought to gain a foothold. All of Weiss's attempts to summon were foiled as well as every creature she created was quickly dispatched. It was obvious they needed far more help than they had on hand.

"How you holding up Weiss?" Ruby asked, breathing heavily.

"Oh, you know, about as well as can be expected."

"She's a lot tougher than she looks."

"Indeed and that's going to make our retreat even more difficult."

"Retreat? HA! None of you are going to make it out of here alive. I was honestly hoping to take my time with the silver eyed girl but my patience has run its course," Cinder mocked.

"Weiss, we need to leave. Now!" Jaune called to her.

Weiss glanced back, taking in a scene that horrified her. Blood was smeared and dripping all down the front of Jack's face. His features showed obvious signs that he was barely holding on. Yet, his eyes, though bloodshot, showed a ferocity she hadn't seen before. It was almost as if he knew the end was near and he was ready to face it head on.

"Cinder!" he managed to yell. Cinder turned her attention towards him, smiling arrogantly as she took in his features. With a trembling smirk he spoke, "go to hell, bitch."

Before she could offer anything in retort, the ground beneath her began to move. Cinder gazed down, expecting more skeletons to pop up and explode like last time. To her surprise nothing like that happened. The ground began to cave in, sinking deeper as in funneled downward like a desert whirlpool. Unable to react quickly enough, Cinder lost her footing, nearly tumbling down into the mouth of the pit.

"Cinder!" Emerald called out only to have her voice catch in her throat.

From within the pit itself a hoard of skeletons emerged, clawing their way to the surface and towards Cinder. In retaliation the maiden sent a few fireballs right into their midst but the undead were oblivious to her attacks as they continued to scramble for her. With her attention on the creatures below she didn't notice the group that emerged from above. Rising near the top of the pit they dove down towards the maiden, body slamming into her as they fell. The impact sent her sprawling down the sand dune and into the waiting arms of the group below.

Cinder fought furiously to break free. Yet, the more she struggled the more she she sank into the sand. Before long she had disappeared beneath the sands with no sign of motion to signal if she was still alive or not. In truth even Jack was uncertain as he used the soldiers to drag her down as deep as they could. He put all of his remaining energy into the act, hoping that, should she break free, he would at least buy everyone some time.

"Cinder!" Emerald cried out.

With the disappearance of her savior the young woman forgot all about teams RWBY and JNPR. She dove down to the bottom of the sand dune, digging furiously in a futile attempt to save Cinder. Mercury followed her down and attempted to haul Emerald out of the pit. Both had admitted defeat.

"What just happened?" Jaune asked out loud.

"I think we've won," Yang answered.

"I wouldn't say we won. I'd say we just barely managed to survive," Weiss corrected.

"Jack, wake up. Jack!" Demi pleaded.

Before the group could begin to celebrate their attention was turned to their comrade. He lay limp in Demi's arms, unresponsive to her pleading for him to wake. His prediction had been on the mark, it seemed. Drained of his aura and energy, Jack had succumbed to the endless abyss.

"Jack, please, this isn't funny," Demi pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she frantically tried to wake her dying father.

"We need to get him to a hospital," Jaune said.

"I'm not sure we should move him in his condition," Ren pointed out.

"We don't have much of a choice. Demi, come on, we need your help."

"Jack, come on, wake up," she said, her voice horse from her cries.

"Demi," Weiss said, calmly gaining her daughter's attention by turning her gaze upwards to meet hers. "Please, we need you to summon us some transport. If you don't I don't think Jack will wake, ever."

"You're right," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes and laying her father in Weiss' arms as she stood up.

Focusing on the task at hand, Demi summoned an immense Death stalker. Being as careful as they could, the group brought Jack onboard the creature before it took off over the sand. While Jack's condition was questionable, Demi had been clever enough to summon a creature that thrived on the desert plains. As she commanded the creature to take them to safety, Weiss cradled Jack's weakened body in her lap.

All she could think about was the conversation they'd had just before he left. He hadn't been lying. He'd been fully prepared to die and, if they had been any later to the party, he just might have. What stung even more was that they hadn't left things on the best of terms and if things ended for them like this-

Weiss shuttered at the thought and banished it from her mind immediately. No, it wasn't going to come to that. She wouldn't allow it. Jack's semblance may allow him to utilize the dead but he'd also conquered it. He'd been on Death's door more than once and the scars that covered his body were proof of his tenacity, his unwavering desire to live. She knew this. She believed in it and she wouldn't allow herself to doubt it for a moment.


	20. Chapter 19: Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Jack didn't know if he was awake or dreaming. Honestly, he didn't even know if he was alive or dead. He could recall with perfect clarity his final moments before blacking out but, after that, nothing else came to mind.

As far as he could tell he was alive. Over head the warmth of the sun shone on his face. A cool breeze passed by. His head lay on something soft, though, if asked to describe it he wasn't quite sure he'd know what to say. After a while he became aware of the fact that he wasn't alone. It wasn't that he could sense another person's presence, rather, it was the fact that they were humming a familiar tune that drew his attention. It wasn't long before he recognized the lullaby and realized where he was and with whom.

"It's been a long time since we last spoke, hasn't it?" Jack asked, opening his eyes to gaze up at his sister.

"For you, perhaps, but for me time no longer matters. It's merely a matter of one event following another. With the ending of one comes the beginning of another."

"So what do you do in-between the times we chat?" he asked.

Eli merely smiled, an outward sign that such details were not something he needed to worry about just yet. "Tell me Jack, would you say you're happy?"

Her question came as no surprise to the young man. He'd known it would be the first thing she asked him and, despite this, he took a moment to give it some serious thought.

"I'm not sure I can say that I achieved happiness but I do know there were moments that brought me joy as well as moments of pain that left me longing for that feeling all over again."

"How so?"

"I loved her," he said, knowing that his sister would understand of whom he was speaking. "I never thought I would know something like that. When you're rejected by the world and become an outcast of society, you seldom have reason to believe that you could ever encounter someone who would see you for who you are and not immediately reject you because of it.

Weiss was different. Not at first but, overtime, she became more than she appeared. I came to rely on her, attracted to her strength and determination. I knew that I was beginning to love her, to care for her but I was always afraid. I was afraid of rejection and that kept me from telling her how I truly felt.

Yet, somehow, I managed to let her know what my feelings for her were and she reciprocated them. I'll never regret what happened, knowing how good it felt to have someone accept you, faults and all. I just hope I was able to at least leave something redeemable in my last moments."

"Do you really think that allowing yourself to be killed was the best course of action in order to redeem yourself in her eyes?"

"Not really, no," Jack admitted. "Again, I was afraid. I knew that, if I allowed them to arrest me, I'd never see Weiss again and it wouldn't have stopped Salem from hunting their team. I had very few options at my disposal. I did what I thought was best out of desperation."

"I see. You've grown since we last spoke, little brother, if only a little."

"Yes, a few steps forward followed by one gigantic leap backwards."

Eli and Jack laughed at his comment, finding a bit of rare humor at his expense. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, though, their conversation was merely a ploy to distract him from the real question that he dreaded asking. Despite this he knew he would have to face the truth. He'd made his bed and now he'd have to lie in it.

"So, tell me big sister, when do I pass on?"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"Please don't beat around the bush with me, Eli. Despite my friend's good intentions, I still succeeded in accomplishing my goal. I took down Cinder, throwing a wrench into Salem's plans and as a consequence I gave my own life to do so. The only thing left for me to do now is move forward."

"Yes, it is indeed time for you to move forward. You have a great deal left to accomplish."

"I didn't realize things would be so busy in the afterlife."

"No, not afterlife, just life."

"What do you mean? I'm dead, just the same as you."

"Jack, at what point did I say you were dead?"

Jack immediately rose to look his sister in the eye. His stern expression met her serious one, hoping, expecting her to break into a smile, an obvious sign that she was joking with her. Her expression was unwavering, however, and it slowly dawned on him that he'd been acting on presumptions alone.

"Eli, tell me, am I dead or am I alive?" he asked.

"You were dead. Clinically dead, that is, for about seven minutes. Amazing what doctors can do, especially when they work for a hospital owned by your girlfriend's family."

"I'm alive?" he asked in disbelief. Eli said nothing. She watched and waited for her brother's reaction, knowing that he would have to come to terms with it himself. "I'm alive," he said, his statement one of acceptance.

"Yes, you are, dear brother. You've overcome the worst of it. They currently have you resting at the Xio Long residence in Vale, waiting patiently for you to wake."

"I see," he mused. "Wait, hold on a minute. How are we speaking to each other then? The last time we spoke I was on the cusp death. How can we be talking if I've escaped death's embrace?"

In response to his question Elizabeth simply smiled. He knew this reaction was purposeful. She knew more than she was letting on but how much more he didn't know.

"For someone as intelligent as yourself you never cease to amaze me with how naïve you can be," she said. "Your semblance doesn't just allow you to utilize the dead. It allows you to so much more. You've only just begun to evolve, to see past its standard capabilities."

"So the fact that we're able to speak to one another is because of my semblance?"

Elizabeth's smiled broadened. He was beginning to understand. In time he would push the limits of what he was capable of. Until then he would need to rest.

"Time is growing short, little brother. It's time for me to go," she said, laying his head back down.

"I can see you again, right?" he asked, hesitant of her answer.

"So long as you wish to see me again. Goodbye Jack."

"Goodbye Eli," he said and slowly drifted away.

* * *

 **Vale, Xio Long residence – Guest bedroom – Jack**

Jack was awake, back in the land of the living, and already he was having second thoughts. It wasn't because he was apprehensive about facing Weiss and her friends or the fact that, once Salem knew of his recovery then she would be after him. No, it was because, when he was dead or at least assumed he was, there was an obvious lack of pain. Pain, or at the very least a pronounced stiffness in his joints, had him wondering if it wasn't too late to throw in the towel and join his sister in the afterlife.

"The Grimm Reaper must have a vendetta against me," he thought aloud, "twice I've found myself in its grasp and twice I've escaped. I doubt I'll be granted a third chance."

As he spoke Jack heard a soft moaning nearby. Curious, he moved to see who it was. He forced himself to fight against the zeal of pain that shot through him. His joints, which obviously hadn't been flexed since he fell unconscious, fought him tooth and nail. The moment his companion came into view, however, he felt a new kind of pain beginning to emerge.

Napping in a chair with her head resting on the bed was Weiss Schnee. Once again she was at his bedside but somehow this didn't comfort Jack in the least. If nothing else, he was more panicked at her presence than relieved. Although, all things considered, it was better than waking up to a pair of armed guards. However, considering her skills she could stand in place of the guards no problem.

Slowly Jack began to move his joints, attempting to shift himself into a more comfortable position. Regrettably this was proving to be more of a hassle than he'd first thought as every time he moved one of his sore joints screamed out in pain. In the end he settled for settling himself against the bedframe, coming to terms with the fact that it would be a while before he could ever get comfortable again. To make matters worse his movements had awoken Weiss.

"Hmm?" she moaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before settling on Jack.

"Uhh," he said, unable to think of anything to say.

"Jack? You're awake," she said, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Yea," he replied, a little hesitant.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little sore," he admitted.

"But good overall?"

"Yea, good," he said, relaxing a little. "How are you?"

What Jack had expected was, perhaps, for Weiss to simply reply back that she was good as well. However, the sudden smack to the face he received left him dazed and confused. He quickly replayed their conversation over in his head, trying to identify where he went wrong. As his eyes gazed back at Weiss and saw the furious expression and angry tears beginning to form, he knew it wasn't something he'd said but something he'd done.

"You want to know how I am?" she snapped. "After you drugged me, abandoned us with little more than an apology, racing off to fight Cinder and her goons with little regard for your own life and nearly died in my arms, and you want to know how I am?"

"Honestly, I'm certain I can make a fairly good guess now," he said sheepishly.

"Don you dare!" she hissed, causing Jack to recoil in fright. "Don't you dare presume to know how I feel, how far you pushed me," she said as hot, angry tears poured down her face. "I'd thought you were dead. I'd thought you'd given up and I almost gave up as well. You broke my heart and rather than take responsibility you chose to run away."

"Weiss I- "he hesitated for a moment, thinking hard about what to say next. "I never thought of it as running away. I intended to face the consequences and pay the debt owed."

"By sacrificing your life?"

"It seemed a fitting end for all I had done to you," he admitted grimly.

"Jack, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say," she said in a serious tone. "At no point did I ever want you dead. I was hurt. I felt betrayed. I'd felt used by a man I thought I could love and trust without question. What you did is something I will have a difficult time forgiving but I would never ask you to give up your own life as recompense."

"I know, I just- "he chocked on his words as he spoke. "I was angry. I was angry at Salem for revealing my secrets. I was angry at my family for rejecting me. I was angry at myself for not trusting you enough to tell you everything. I had no one to blame but myself. I couldn't handle the thought of living my life like that, knowing I had betrayed everyone who had come to trust me."

Weiss moved her chair closer to Jack, making sure she was right next to his bedside before placing a hand on his.

"Jack, I want you to listen to me," she said in a serious tone. "While my friends and I may have been adamant about your betrayal, your actions at Vacuo have given us reason to reconsider our overall opinions.

This doesn't mean that we trust you. I know it will be some time before the others begin to fully trust you again and I- "she paused, "it will be a while before I can trust you in the same way. That doesn't mean I don't love you but- "

Whatever she was about to say next she decided no longer matter. Her serious expression soon broke into a soft smile. They sat in silence for a time and Jack found himself incredibly grateful for that small moment. It was nice to have some reprieve from the negative reality he had woken up in.

"There's something else you should know," she said, breaking the silence.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes showing his expectation of more bad news.

"It's not something that can be explained, at least not by me. Wait here a moment," she said.

Jack's heart took a nose dive the moment she exited the room. Already he could picture her returning with her sister Winter or some other Atlas official. He knew his actions wouldn't go unnoticed and that people in power would be eager to line his head up on a chopping block. When Weiss did return, however, the white haired girl with her looked far less intimidating than her older sister.

She looked fairly similar to Weiss, with the exception of her eyes that were a crisp icy blue. Her overall features had him confused, however. It was obvious she was a Schnee, that much was for certain, but why she seemed so familiar to him was still difficult for him to pinpoint.

"How are you feeling Jack?" the young girl asked.

"Demi?" he asked.

The girl smiled in response, a sure sign that he'd hit the mark. Now that he imagined her with auburn hair he was able to see her clearly. However, this only served to raise more questions as he began to wonder why she had hidden her identity and why Weiss hadn't known about her to begin with.

"You mind if I sit?" she asked.

"Does that include an explanation for what happened to your hair?" he asked, attempting and failing to play it off as a joke.

"Yes, though, to be honest, I have a great deal more to say that's going to require you have an open mind."

Jack shot Weiss a quizzical look. In response he received one of half-heart reassurance. This did little to ease his suspicions but he decided to trust her regardless. Looking back on it she'd always been quick to back him up and, while he'd never seen or heard mention of her in Salem's company, he didn't get the feeling that she was involved with the Grimm mistress. He nodded his head and listened.

To his credit Jack did his best to keep an open mind. In truth he was much more receptive than Weiss had been when Demi first divulged this information to her. However, the more she spoke the harder it became for him to grasp everything as truth. Demi could see this but continued regardless until she'd finished. When she was done she waited for Jack's response.

"Do you believe what she's saying?" he asked Weiss.

"I was skeptical at first. Still am but I'm starting to see similarities between us. It's becoming more and more difficult to not believe her."

"Still, it is a little farfetched."

"A little?" Demi asked.

"You know what I mean," he grumbled. "Do the others know?"

"No, just you and mom for now."

"Let's keep this between us then, for the time being. With everything that's happened I think it'll a bit much for us to drop another bombshell on their heads."

"I agree," Weiss said.

"So, what now?" Demi asked.

"Now, I need to rest. My body is still sore from the fight and I'm starting to get a bit tired."

Demi nodded in agreement and quickly left the room. Weiss stayed behind, discerning from the look in his eyes that Jack had a lot on his mind and he would want to discuss it with her.

"So, we have a daughter," he said awkwardly.

"Apparently so," she replied.

"She looks a lot like you. She certainly inherited your attitude," he joked.

"As well as your penchant for keeping secrets," she shot back.

"Tu Shei," he remarked. "She wants us to go with her to Atlas."

"I know," Weiss said with grim tone. "I was fortunate to get out of there when I did and to have her ask me to go back is rather difficult."

"But if what she says is true then to ignore the situation will only give rise to a new enemy," Jack pointed out.

"Yes, you're right. I haven't told anyone this but, the night I fled my family home, I overheard a conversation between Ironwood and my father. He was adamant, authoritative, and unwilling to see anyone else's view but his own."

"I know what you mean. Even in the short moments I've shared with the man, it was always like I was talking to a brick wall. He doesn't like to see things beyond his own scope of vision."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Even if what she said about this second Ironwood is false, his decision to close the kingdom's borders falls in line with some of Salem's plans. She wants to use it to ignite a far greater destruction than we could possibly imagine."

"Then I guess it's decided; we're heading to Atlas."

"Indeed," Jack concurred glumly.

* * *

It was a little over a week before Jack was well enough to get out of bed and begin moving about the house. During that time his number of visitors had been sparse to say the least, though he couldn't exactly complain.

Aside from Weiss, Ruby made an appearance shortly after. She'd waved off his allegiance to Salem as "water under the bridge" and thanked him immensely for risking his life to throw Cinder off their trail. Nora and Ren were the next two to visit and always together. Nora was her usual energetic self with recent events doing little to hamper her outlook on life. Ren was his usual quiet self and, while he never voiced his opinion, it was obvious to Jack that the boy was keeping a metaphorical distance between them for the time being.

Jaune and Yang outright refused to see him. While Jaune was more polite in his refusal, even to the point of giving Weiss and Demi legitimate reasons, Yang was much more crass. Jack had actually heard her yelling her refusal to even speak with the man and, when by chance she happened to pass by his room, she shot him a look of eerie that quickly killed the pleasantries he had wanted to speak. What's more, Jack had yet to meet his host, Tai Xio Long. Considering he was Ruby and Yang's father, though, it didn't surprise him that he might share Yang's opinion on him.

As soon as he was able to walk around with no problems he asked for a house meeting. With Weiss at his side, Jack descended the stairs into the living room to face the kaleidoscope of expressions that greeted him. Among them he saw a man with short blond hair whom he assumed was Tai.

"Before we get started," Qrow said, "there's something we need to take care of."

"I understand," Jack said, taking a few steps away from Weiss. "I'm ready."

Without warning Qrow launched a bare knuckled punch across Jack's face. The assault caught everyone off guard with no one giving any indication that they had expected Qrow to attack him. Jack toppled to the ground, rolling across the floor until his momentum was broken by the wall.

"Jack!" Weiss yelled, rushing to help him to his feet.

"I'm alright," he said, staggering as he rose.

"Now we're even," Qrow said, relaxing back into a sitting position of the couch arm.

"What was that for?" Weiss shot at Qrow, furious with how he'd acted.

"It was for putting Ruby's life in danger," Jack answered. "I was completely deserving of it. That being said, if anyone else wants to get a hit in, now's your chance."

Weiss was about to shot Jack a sharp glare but upon seeing the serious look in his eyes she soon realized he wasn't joking. Everyone remained where they were, the sudden attack defusing any lingering feelings of spite they might have had. Even Yang appeared sympathetic. While she might have taken the chance prior to her Uncle, after seeing Jack to the hit without complaint, she decided one punch was more than enough.

"Alright then, now that that's out of the way," he said, taking a stance before his audience, "I don't think it can be said enough how sorry I am for my actions leading up to this point. I know an apology from me will sound hollow but I can assure you I mean every word.

Weiss has told me that whatever trust you may have placed in has been greatly damaged and to ask any of you to trust me now would be asking more than is feasible of any of you. With that being said, if any of you no longer wish to be associated with me or refuse to listen to what I have to say then please speak now. I won't hold it against you and I doubt anyone else will either."

Jack waited a moment, locking eyes with each person in the room. Those he expected to get up and leave remained seated, though the heavy atmosphere in the room never dissipated. Finally, after a few minutes, Jack continued on.

"I called this meeting not just to offer my apologies but also to inform you of my plans for the immediate future. It's come to my intention that trouble is beginning to brew beneath the surface of Atlas' leadership. Events, that may well transpire, threaten to throw the entire kingdom into chaos. It's unclear whether or not Salem has a hand in this. Regardless, I'm heading there to do what I can to stop it. If Atlas falls, it would be a victory for Salem."

"He won't be alone," Weiss chimed. "I'll be going with him. There are some demons back home that I need to face."

"I'll be going as well," Demi said, moving to stand beside her parents. "There's someone there I need to confront before he does any more harm to Remnant."

"So you're just up and leaving us again?" Yang accused.

"I don't think that's their intention," Ren objected. "The fact that they're informing us before they depart must mean they didn't want to simply disappear on us again."

"Indeed. We've realized from last time that doing so would only cause you to worry and eventually begin searching for us. This way you'll at least know where we are."

"Then I'm coming too," Ruby piped in.

"Ruby, this isn't like before. There's no guarantee that we'll make it into Atlas and even if we do there's a high chance we'll be facing opponents much more powerful than ourselves, in more ways than one," Weiss argued.

"Which is why you'll need my help," Ruby stated.

"If she's going so am I," Yang said, rising to stand next to her sister. "Besides, I don't feel comfortable leaving you in his hands," she said, glaring at Jack.

"Well then, it only makes sense that I come along as well," Jaune said.

"Alright, team RNGR is back in action!" Nora belted out excitedly.

"You mean teams RWBY and JNPR," Ren corrected.

"So it seems," Jack mussed. "Well then, I guess I'll need to start making preparations. Getting into Atlas won't be easy. I'll have to pull some strings if we're to smuggle everyone in."

"I think I might be able to help you in that regard," Qrow said. "Though I never thought I'd find myself saying this, I think Winter might be able to help us in that department."

"You think she'll do it?" Jack asked Weiss.

"She's my sister, of course she'll help us," Weiss said, hoping he wouldn't notice the uncertainty in her voice.

"I guess it's settled then. We're all headed to Atlas."

The outcome of the meeting should have made Demi feel more calm, more secure. She knew she should feel happy knowing her parents would be helping to write a future where they were together. Yet, for some reason she couldn't quite ascertain why she felt so uneasy and fearful about the future.

One of the contributing factors to this was the fact that she hadn't received any reports from General Winter in a long time. While she assured herself it was due to some unforeseen circumstances preventing them from contacting her, she couldn't help but wonder what was happening? Had there been changes to her future, changes she had been unware of that would prove detrimental to her mission?

Not only that but she didn't know for sure if the fugitive Ironwood she'd been chasing was on his way to Atlas or already there. There was even a chance that he was headed somewhere entirely, throwing her off his trail completely. While her gut told her Atlas was the place to go, she still couldn't shake her feelings of unease and doubt. All she could do was smile and pray she'd know what to do when the time came.

* * *

 **City of Atlas – Atlas Military headquarters – Ironwood's Office**

Ironwood was in a panic. While his stoic demeanor and calm façade would never betray his inner feelings, in truth he was apprehensive about the future and eventual battle with Salem. Not long before enacting the boarder closing all over the kingdom, news reached him of Weiss Schnee's disappearance. He'd thought he'd found her again in Mistral but those reports, which had been refuted by his most trusted soldier Winter Schnee, had proved false.

What's more his intelligence department had reported strange happenings all over Remnant. Several weeks ago a small village was attacked by a hoard of Grimm. Instead of being completely overrun, as was usually the case, an unknown band of mercenaries had appeared lead by a man who bore a strong resemblance to Jack Brisbane. After completely repelling the Grimm the army disappeared just as quickly and Jack along with them.

Then, not more than a week ago, there had been sightings of Cinder Fall and her followers in the Vacuo desert. The reports had varied on what had taken place but all of them agreed that she'd found herself engaged in battle with a powerful foe. Ironwood immediately assumed it to be another of the maidens and sent soldiers to investigate. Unfortunately, they'd turned up empty with no signs of either Cinder or the maiden.

While most people would have assumed all these events were unrelated, Ironwood knew better. Each of them was a sign, a warning that he had been right all along. Salem was showcasing her power at every turn and Remnant was paying the cost for having been unprepared for her onslaught. In the end only Atlas would remain but to do that they'd need to ensure their defenses were air tight.

As soon as he entered his office, however, his mood changed considerably. While his mind had been preoccupied with other matters, the unknown intruder in his private office had garnered his full attention. The man was seated in his favorite chair, a glass of whisky in his hand holding a generous amount of the amber liquor.

"I hope you don't mind, I helped myself to the liquor cabinet," the man said, taking a sip. "Aww, it's amazing what you miss the most while you whittle away the days rotting in a detention cell."

"How the hell did you get in here. This is a private room," Ironwood asked, furious.

"Simple. I used your access code."

"But I'm the only the only who knows it. I programed it myself."

"Exactly," the man said, polishing off his glass before rising from his seat.

"Security!" Ironwood roared into a nearby intercom.

"Don't bother, I disabled that long before you arrived. I didn't want anyone to interrupt us."

"Who are you?" he asked, his hand slipping to the gun hidden beneath his jacket.

"Who do you think? Take a closer look," the man said as he stepped beneath the light.

Ironwood's grip on his gun faltered as his eyes took in the sight before him. It wasn't a sight that he could simply explain away. To say the man looked like his father, assuming he had managed to live past the age of fifty. In truth it was like looking into a funhouse mirror, one that showed what would happen if you were forced to walk through hell and somehow managed to survive the ordeal.

"By the Gods," he gasped.

"No, not exactly, but you're close."

"Who are you?" Ironwood asked, this time asking more than just a simple question.

"I am you, of course. I am a testament to your tenacity, to your unconquerable spirit. I am the result of shifting loyalties and betrayals that were meant to destroy me but only managed to make me stronger. More than that, I am here to pass on my knowledge and experience to you, to insure that the future we envisioned is made a reality."

"What do you mean?" James asked, somewhat intrigued by what he was being told.

"Years from now several people who you once considered to be allies and loyal subordinates will unite against you. They refused to see the benefits that could be reaped through our actions. As a result, I spent nearly two decades locked up in a cell, wrongly imprisoned for attempting to make Remnant a better place. Where I failed, however, you can succeed, but only if you're willing," he said.

Ironwood gazed back at the grizzled reflection that stood before him. It was no secret that many within the Atlas military as well as those without saw his methods as extreme. People like Qrow Branwen and Ozpin were just a few of those people. They had always denounced his belief in might being right, but he knew better.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked his guest.

The old Ironwood smiled. "Pour us a couple more glasses of that whisky and take a seat. We have much to talk about," he said.

 **To be continued…**

* * *

 **And volume one of the "Child of Light and Darkness" volumes has concluded! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through the making of this. I had a lot of fun coming up with the story as well as developing my two OCs.**

 **Just so you're aware this isn't the end of the story. Many of the questions you may have and plot holes will be answered in the next installment. I'm still coming up with a name for it so be patient. I'll have it ready as soon as I am able.**

 **Currently I'll be working on WOR and pushing out more chapters for that one. I have some characters that need developing in that one so you'll find more chapters being posted for that. In the mean time I'm spoiling you with two chapters being dropped at the same time so that should tide you over for the time being.**

 **Lastly, following this posting, I'll be dropping a character sheet for Jack. It'll basically be a run down of his overall physical descriptions as well as a history of his life leading up to this point. I'm hoping to commission some artwork depicting my OC to go along with it so, if your interested, be on the lookout for it.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did making it. I look forward to your reviews. In the meantime, enjoy reading some of my other works and most importantly, be sure to support Rooster Teeth and send them some love for giving us such an awesome cast to work.**

 **Until next time RWBY fans.**


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